The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

An  Episode  of  the  War  of  1812 


BY 


LOUIS  L  BABCOCK 


The  campaign  of  1814  on  the  Niagara  frontier  fully  determined  that 
Ainencan  citizens  furnished  the  choicest  materials  for  an  army  •  that  when 
well  disciplined,  instructed  in  the  art  of  war.  and  led  by  brave  and  enter- 
prisiiiK  generals,  they  were  fully  able  to  meet  on  equal  gr-fiund  the  best 
iiiiglish  troops. 

—  Pi'rkins. 


fiept.  Militia  &  Defence 


Xb  X 


A  BIT, 


BUFFALO: 

The  Petkr  Paul  Hook  Company, 
J899. 


Copyright,  1899, 
by  Louis  L.  Babcock. 


T*;---  WiTr" 


r3 


ca^ 


•>. 


s  - 

J*« 

5J 

<^($ 

r 

oa«!« 

** 

:^^ 

sP§ 

ca*^ 

,          - 

A      Fort  Erie. 

B     Camp. 

C     Where  Porter's  volunteers  encamped 

who  arrived  September  tenth. 
Z?     British  works. 
a  a   Bastions  built  by  British. 


3    I    IB    G    E 


6       Ravelin. 

c  c    Blockhouses  built  by  British. 

dd  Bastions    constructed    by    Brown's 

forces. 
e  e    Redoubt    constructed    by  Brown's 

forces  to  replace  line  of  pickets. 


B   E  F   IE 


///  Entrenchments. 

g  Douglass's  battery. 

hhh  Camp  traverses. 

k  Fontaine's  battery. 

/  Biddle's  battery. 

( This  plan  is  a  copy  of  on< 


FENCE     ©f     ]P<IDlFiT        EmiE 


ments. 

m 

Towson's  battery. 

s  battery. 

n 

Main  traverse. 

verses. 

0 

Magazine  traverse. 

s  battery. 

P 

Hospital  traverse. 

sattery. 

Q 

Grand  parade  traverse 

copy  of  one  made  by  the  United  States  engineer  corps.) 


r     Brown's  headquarters. 
s     Drain. 

/     Road  from  Chippewa  up  the  lake. 
u    Buck's  Road. 

V    Route  taken  by  Porter's  forces   in 
sortie. 


to         Route  of  right  column. 

X  Ravine. 

y  y        Blockhouses. 

Roads  to  British  camp. 


2  2 


1,3,3   British   first,    second,    and  third 
batteries. 


§  - 

:1^ 


Ci.. 


»»BS!J? 


c 

D 
a  a 


Fort  Erie. 

Camp. 

Where  Porter's  volunteers  encamped 

who  arrived  September  tenth. 
British  works. 
Bastions  built  by  British. 


6       Ravelin. 

c  c    Blockhouses  bui 

dd  Bastions    constr 

forces. 
e  e    Redoubt    constij 

forces  to  replai 


Preface. 

One  of  the  most  brilliant  events  of  the  War  of  1,S12 
was  the  successful  defense  of  Fort  Erie  by  the  Americans 
aL,^ainst  the  veteran  troops  of  the  British.     Yet,  I  dare 
say,  very  few  residents  along  the  Niagara  frontier  are 
aware  that  within  an  hour's  journey  of  the  city  of  Buffalo  . 
occurred  some  of  the  most  severe  fighting  the  nation 
has  ever  seen,  or  that  the  ruined  and  tottering  wall  of  ". 
the  old  fort,  still  to  be  seen,  marks  the  spot  where  sev-    • 
eral  hundred  brave  men  gave  up  their  lives  in  desperat'e 
struggle. 

A  period  of  enforced  leisure  gave  me  an  opportunity 
to  examine  the  various  authorities  bearing  upon  the 
siege  of  Fort  Erie,  and  this  sketch  grew  out  of  the 
notes  I  then  made.  Undoubtedly  errors  exist,  although  '  "  •• 
considerable  pains  has  been  taken  to  carefully  verify 
each  statement.    I  trust  that  they  will  be  pardoned  arid  ' 

that  this  sketch  may  serve  to  stimulate  among  a  few,  at 
least,  the  study  of  the  history  of  the  Niagara  frontre'f  ""*"'^ 
during  this  period,  than  which  nothing  could  be  more 
interesting. 

Buffalo,  July  lo,  i8gg. 


Contents. 

CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I.    A  Brief  Sketch  of  Fort  Erie  up  to  1 8 14,       .         .  7 

II.    Before  the  Inva.sion,       ......  12 

III.  The  Campaign  down  the  Niagara,          .                  .  18 

IV.  The  Beginning  of  the  Siege,          ....  25 
V.    The  Attack  on  the  Fort, 34 

VI.    The  Period  between  the  Assault  and  the  Sortie,   .  46 

VII.    The  Sortie,    .         .         .         .         .         •      '   •         •  55 


X 


THE  SIEGE  OF  FORT  ERIE 

An  Episode  of  the  War  of  1812. 


CHAPTER    I. 

A  Brief  Sketch  of  Fori  Erie  up  to  181 4. 

One  of  the  first  travelers  who  describes  the  vicinity  of 
Buffalo  —  the  first  man,  in  fact,  who  appreciated  the  advantages 
of  the  site  where  Buffalo  now  stands  —  was  Baron  La  Hontan, 
lord  lieutenant  of  the  French  colony  in  Newfoundland,  who, 
after  paying  a  compliment  to  Niagara  Falls  by  describing  them 
as  seven  hundred  or  eight  hundred  feet  high,  says: 

"The  Lake  Erie  is  justly  dignified  with  the  illustrious  name 
of  Conti,  for  assuredly  'tis  the  finest  Lake  upon  Earth.  You 
may  judge  of  the  goodness  of  the  climate  from  the  latitudes  of 
the  Countries  that  surround  it.  Its  circumference  extends  to  two 
hundred  and  thirty  leagues  but  it  affords  everywhere  such  a 
charming  Prospect  that  its  Banks  are  deck'd  with  Oak-Trees, 
Elms,  Chestnut-Trees,  Walnut-Trees,  Apple-Trees,  Plum-Trees, 
and  Vines  which  bear  their  fine  clusters  up  to  the  very  top  of 
the  Trees  upon  a  sort  of  ground  that  lies  as  smooth  as  one's 
Hand.  Such  ornaments  as  these  are  sufficient  to  give  rise  to  the 
most  agreeable  idea  of  Landskape  in  the  World." 

He  describes  the  locality  as  abounding  in  wild  game  and 
fisli  and  filled  with  warlike  Indians.  In  a  map  annexed  to  his 
journal  he  locates  a  prospective  fort  precisely  where  the  city  of 
Buffalo  now  stands,  which  he  calls  Fort  Suppose,  and  advocates 
the  erection  of  a  post,  which  was  never  built.  

7 


8  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

In  1764,  Bradstreet,  in  the  course  of  an  expedition  against 
the  Indians,  saw  the  necessity  of  erecting  a  fortified  trading  post 
near  where  Fort  Erie  now  stands,  and  wrote  Sir  William  John- 
son suggesting  that  the  acquisition  of  sufficient  land  for  this 
purpose  was  desirable.  Before  the  English  Crown  succeeded  in 
obtaining  title  to  the  ground  the  trading  post  was  abuilding,  and 
subsequent  events  soon  legalized  this  trespass  upon  the  hunting 
grounds  of  the  Senecas. 

After  the  collapse  of  Pontiac's  conspiracy,  the  Senecas,  fear- 
ing lest  the  English  would  punish  them  for  their  participation  in 
his  scheme,  sent  some  four  hundred  warriors  to  Sir  William 
Johnson  to  sue  for  peace.  And  it  was  about  time,  for  the  terrible 
massacre  at  Devil's  Hole,  perpetrated  by  this  tribe,  was  fresh  in 
the  minds  of  all.  This  occurred  on  September  fourteenth,  1763, 
at  Devil's  Hole,  a  few  miles  from  Fort  Niagara,  when  an  escort  to 
a  train  of  twenty-five  wagons  on  the  trail  from  Fort  Schlosser  to 
Fort  Niagara  was  ambushed  and  almost  annihilated  by  the  wily 
Senecas,  only  three  men  escaping.  A  small  garrison  of  two 
companies  at  Lewiston,  hearing  the  attack,  rushed  to  the 
rescue  and  was  in  turn  ambushed.  All  but  eight  of  these  were 
killed.  When  the  garrison  from  Fort  Niagara  reached  the  scene, 
the  ruins  of  the  train,  and  some  eighty  scalped  bodies,  including 
those  of  six  officers,  alone  remained.  When  the  Seneca  dele- 
gation arrived,  Sir  William,  doubtless  bearing  this  and  similar 
events  in  mind,  insisted  upon  a  substantial  grant  of  land.  This 
the  Senecas  promised  to  give.  Soon  afterward  they  reluctantly 
met  Sir  William  Johnson  at  Fort  Niagara  and  by  formal  treaty 
the  English  acquired  a  strip  of  land  four  miles  wide  on  each  side 
of  the  Niagara  from  Lake  Ontario  to  Lake  Erie.  This  treaty 
was  concluded  on  August  sixth,  1764. 

A  clause  of  the  treaty  granting  this  land  is  here  inserted,  as 
it  is  of  considerable  local  interest.  Parkman's  graphic  description 
of  this  gathering  of  the  Indians,  in  his  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac, 
will  well  repay  a  perusal,  for  the  concourse  comprised  not  only 
the  Senecas  but  upwards  of  two  thousand  other  Indians.     Some, 


A  Brief  Sketch  of  Fort  Erie  up  to  1814  9 

even,  came   from  west  of  the  Mississippi.     The  clause  of  the 
treaty  referred  to  is  as  follows : 

"Article  Fifth.  In  addition  to  tne  grant  made  by  the 
Chenussio  Deputys  to  His  Majesty  at  Johnson  Hall  in  April  of 
the  Lands  from  Fort  Niagara  to  the  upper  end  of  the  carrying 
place  beyond  Fort  Schlosser  and  four  miles  in  breadth  on  each 
side  of  the  River  the  Chenussios  now  surrender  up  all  the  lands 
from  t"he  upper  end  of  the  former  Grant  (and  of  the  same  breadth ) 
to  the  Rapids  of  Lake  Erie  to  His  Majesty  for  His  sole  use  and 
that  of  the  garrisons  but  not  as  private  property  it  being  near 
some  of  their  hunting  grounds  so  that  all  that  Tract  of  the  breadth 
before  mentioned  from  Lake  Ontario  to  Lake  Erie  shall  become 
vested  in  the  Crown  in  manner  as  before  mentioned  excepting 
the  Islands  between  the  Great  Falls  and  the  Rapids  which  the 
Chenussios  bestow  upon  Sir  William  Johnson  as  a  proof  of  their 
regard  and  of  their  knowledge  of  the  trouble  he  has  had  with  them 
from  time  to  time.  All  which  the  Chenussios  hope  will  be  accept- 
able to  His  Majesty  and  trust  that  they  may  have  some  token  of 
his  favor." 

Sir  William  promptly  granted  to  the  Crown  all  his  rights  in 
the  land  ceded  to  him.  Porter,  in  his  extremely  accurate  and 
interesting  History  of  Old  Fort  Niagara,  says : 

"  This  was  the  first  tract  of  land  in  the  limits  of  the  present 
Western  New  York  to  which  the  Indian  title  was  absolutely 
extinguished;  and  this  remarkable  land  deal,  so  vast  in  the 
amount  of  territory  involved,  so  beneficial  to  the  whites  in  the 
power  it  gave  them_  for  trade  and  the  settlement  of  the  country, 
and  of  such  enormous  subsequent  value  in  view  of  very  recent 
developments  along  this  frontier,  was  closed  *  *  *  within  the 
historic  fortifications  of  Fort  Niagara. " 


'&" 


The  ground  having  been  acquired,  the  post  at  Fort  Erie  was 
soon  pressed  to  completion.  A  wharf  was  constructed  just  above 
the  rapids,  and,  no  doubt,  trade  actively  commenced  with  the 


1  o  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

Indians.  Marshall,  in  his  article  on  the  Niagara  frontier,  de- 
scribes the  post  as  located  at.  some  distance  below  the  remains 
of  the  fort  now  standing.  The  part  facing  the  river  was  built  of 
stone  surrounded  by  squared  pickets,  while  the  balance  was 
stockaded.     He  says: 

"The  foundations  of  the  present  fort  were  laid  in  179 1.  It 
must  have  been  a  rude  fortification  as  originally  constructed,  for 
the  Duke  of  Liancourt  describes  it  in  1795  as  a  cluster  of  build- 
ings surrounded  with  rough,  crazy  palisades  destitute  of  ram- 
parts, covered  ways,  or  earthworks.  Outside  of  the  fort  were  a 
few  log  houses  for  the  shelter  of  the  officers,  soldiers,  and  work- 
men. There  was  also  a  large  government  warehouse  with  an 
overhanging  story  pierced  with  loopholes  for  the  use  of  mus- 
ketry. The  stone  portion,  the  ruins  of  which  still  remain,  was 
built  in  1806,  in  the  form  of  a  quadrangle,  and  subsequently 
enlarged  to  more  formidable  dimensions.  The  Indian  name  of 
the  locality,  Gai-gwaah-gCh,  signifies  'The  Place  of  Hats.'  Sen- 
eca tradition  relates  as  its  origin  that  in  olden  times  soon  after 
the  first  visit  of  the  white  man  a  battle  occurred  on  the  lake 
between  a  party  of  French  in  batteaux  and  Indians  in  canoes. 
The  latter  were  victorious  and  the  French  boats  were  sunk  and 
the  crews  drowned.  Their  hats  floated  ashore  where  the  fort  was 
subsequently  built,  and,  attracting  the  attention  of  the  Indians 
from  their  novelty,  they  called  the  locality  'The  Place  of  Hats.'" 

Prior  to  the  beginning  of  this  century  the  route  usually  trav- 
eled from  Niagara  Falls  to  Buffalo  Creek  was  up  the  present  Cana- 
dian side  of  the  river  to  the  Black  Rock  ferry,  where  the  river  was 
crossed  near  where  the  ferry  now  plies..  The  customary  route 
to  Detroit  was  past  Fort  I^irif-and  along  the  northern  shore  of 
Lake  Erie,  The  pidfort  wai..t!:uxlf  .by^Bradstreet  for  the  security 
of  vessels  and  to  provide  a  safe  place  for  laying  them  up  in  winter, 
as  well  as  for  a  trading  post.  Its  early  history  was  apparently 
too  prosaic  to  have  left  any  trace  in  the  writings  of  travelers 
beyond  a  mere  occasional  allusion  or  a  meager  description. 


A  Brief  Sketch  of  Fort  Erie  up  to  1814  1 1 

Christian  Schultz,  junior,  visited  Fort  Erie  in  1807,  and 
describes  it  as  a  small  post  garrisoned  by  twenty-eight  men,  who 
at  that  time  were  employed  in  building  new  works.  He  remarks 
upon  the  fact  that  the  Americans  have  no  fort  or  garrison  on  their 
side,  "although  there  is  a  most  commanding  situation  for  that 
purpose."  A  few  days  before  Schultz  visited  the  post  the 
'English  had  occasion  to  move  one  of  the  guns  of  the  fort.  A 
curious  Yankee,  after  having  looked  into  the  bore,  went  to  the 
breech,  and,  sighting  along  the  piece,  discovered  it  was  pointing 
directly  toward  Buffalo.  He  became  enraged,  and  cursed  King 
George,  his  officers,  and  his  soldiers  with  all  his  ability,  and 
promised  to  return  the  next  day  with  a  party  of  his  "  choice 
fellows,  and  if  he  found  the  gun  in  the  same  position  he  would 
hang  every  mother's  son  of  them  without  judge  or  jury."  It  is 
probable  either  that  the  gun  was  moved  or  that  the  Yankee 
failed  to  keep  his  promise,  for  the  garrison  continued  to  exist. 

The  fort's  sole  claim  to  importance  consisted  in  its  location 
upon  the  trail  along  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Erie  and  in  the 
existence  of  the  harbor  and  the  trading  place  to  which  it  afforded 
protection.  At  no  time  in  its  history  was  its  possession  of  great 
strategical  value  either  to  the  English  or  to  the  Americans. 


0 


l«PIW<»l 


Dept  Militia  &  Defence 


1 2  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

CHAPTER   II. 

before  the  Invasicni. 

Benjamin  Franklin  once  remarked  that  the  war  of  1776- 1783 
was  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  but  the  war  of  independence  still 
remained  to  be  fought.  Events  during  Jefferson's  and  Madison's 
administrations  proved  the  truth  of  the  remark,  for  the  infant 
nation  was  vexed  and  harassed  not  only  by  England  and  France 
but  by  the  pirates  of  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Indians  at  home 
as  well.  Through  the  operation  of  Orders  in  Council,  and  the 
Berlin  and  Milan  Decrees  promulgated  by  both  England  and 
France,  our  commerce,  just  beginning  to  flourish,  was  almost 
driven  from  the  seas;  thousands  of  our  seamen  were  compelled 
to  serve  in  British  vessels  through  the  infamous  practice  of 
impressment;  our  ships  were  stopped  and  searched  on  the  high 
seas  for  alleged  British  subjects  or  suspected  breaches  of  neu- 
trality; Indians  formerly  friendly  to  us  were  armed  and  incited 
to  revolt:  and  these  things  occurred  not  once,  but  many  times. 
Indeed,  as  Madison  put  it  in  his  communication  to  Congress  of 
June  first,  1812: 

"We  behold,  in  fine,  on  the  side  of  Great  Britain  a  state  of 
war  against  the  United  States,  and  on  the  side  of  the  United 
States  a  state  of  peace  toward  Great  Britain." 

The  United  States  dreaded  hostilities,  and  Madison  would 
gladly  have  avoided  them,  yet  there  seemed  no  alternative  if  we 
desired  to  take  our  place  among  the  nations  of  the  world.  Con- 
gress accordingly  declared  war  on  June  eighteenth,  18 12,  and 
the  next  day  it  was  proclaimed  by  the  president. 

The  declaration  of  war  found  the  country  totally  unprepared 
for  hostilities.  Our  army  consisted  of  barely  six  thousand  men, 
while  our  navy  was  composed  of  about  twenty-five  war  ships 
carrying  three  hundred  guns,  against  the  thousand  war  vessels  of 


Before  the  Invasio?i  13 

the  British.  Not  only  in  men  and  war  ships  were  we  lacking,  but 
in  munitions  of  war  of  every  description  as  well ;  and  to  further 
embarrass  the  administration,  both  the  Federal  Party  and  the  New 
England  states  strongly  opposed  the  war,  and  mass  meetings 
were  held  and  pamphlets  continually  circulated  by  the  peace 
party. 

The  war  opened  disastrously  with  the  surrender  of  Detroit 
by  Hull,  and,  as  a  result,  the  loss  of  the  territory  of  Michigan. 
During  the  years  181 2  and  181 3  nearly  all  the  land  operations 
displayed  the  incompetency  of  American  commanders  and  the 
cowardice  of  American  militia.  In  short,  we  were  as  uniformly 
unsuccessful  on  land  as  we  were  successful  on  the  sea;  and  no 
part  of  our  territory  suffered  more  severely  than  the  Niagara 
frontier.  It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  chapter  to  recount 
these  defeats  or  dwell  upon  the  victories  —  few  and  far  between  — 
which  served  to  hearten  up  the  people. 


Buffalo,  then  a  village  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
houses,  was  burned  by  the  British  and  Indians  on  the  thirty-first 
of  December,  1813,  and  the  first  of  January,  1814.  Only  one 
house,  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  the  jail  were  left  standing.  Between 
forty  and  fifty  people  of  both  sexes  were  killed,  stripped  to  the 
skin,  and  scalped  by  the  Canadian  Indians  accompanying  the 
column. 

While  the  burning  of  Buffalo  was  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
war,  it  was  an  act  of  retaliation  for  the  wanton  burning  of  the 
flourishing  village  of  Newark  (now  Niagara)  situated  near  Fort 
George  in  Canada,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  houses. 
This  was  done  by  the  Americans  under  General  McClure,  who 
acted  entirely  without  orders  or  any  justification  or  excuse  what- 
ever. Doubtless  many  of  the  scenes  at  the  burning  of  Buffalo 
were  only  repetitions  of  those  at  Newark,  as  each  side  was  assisted 
by  a  large  number  of  Indians,  who  at  such  times  were  uncontrol- 
lable.    The  homeless   settlers  managed   to  survive   the  winter 


14  The  Siege  of  Fort  E-f^ie 

through  assistance  afforded  by  the  people  of  the  state,  who  gen- 
erously contributed  supplies.  Money  was  voted  by  the  Legis- 
lature and  by  various  cities^  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to 
upwards  of  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

The  dreary  winter  at  last  came  to  a  close,  and  things  began 
to  look  brighter.  A  brickyard  was  put  into  operation;  building 
was  commenced;  and,  owing  to  the  presence  of  a  considerable 
body  of  troops  quartered  at  Buffalo,  money  was  quite  plentiful, 
Johnson,  in  his  History  of  Erie  County,  is  authority  for  the  state- 
ment that  by  May  twentieth  the  village  boasted  three  taverns, 
four  stores,  twelve  shops,  twenty-three  houses,  and  thirty  or  forty 
huts,  besides  many  buildings  in  process  of  erection. 

Along  in  June  rumors  of  an  invasion  of  Canada  began  to  be 
current.  The  force  at  Buffalo  then  consisted  of  two  brigades  of 
regulars,  the  First  and  Second,  under  General  Winfield  Scott 
and  General  Ripley  respectively,  and  a  portion  of  one  brigade  of 
militia  under  General  Porter,  besides  about  six  hundred  Senecas. 
The  monthly  return  of  General  Brown's  division  for  July  first, 
1 8 14,  was  as  follows: 


Present  for 

Dutv. 

Agsregate 

N. 

C.  0.  and  Men. 

Officers. 

Present  and  Absent 

Artillery, 

330 

15 

413 

Scott's  Brigade, 

1. 312 

65 

2,122 

Ripley's  Brigade, 

992 

36 

1,415 

Porter's  Brigade, 

710 

43 

830 

Total, 

3,344 

159 

4,780 

A  portion  of  General  Porter's  brigade  did  not  join  him  until  July 
seventh,  after  the  invasion  had  begun. 

The  whole  force  numbered  about  four  thousand  men  effective 
for  duty.  Considerable  attention  had  been  given  to  disciplining 
and  drilling  the  regulars,  until  these  troops  were  in  a  fair  state  of 
efficiency  and  eager  for  an  invasion  of  Canada.  As  an  instance 
of  the  discipline  that  prevailed,  it  is  related  that  four  privates 
from  the  regulars  convicted  of  desertion  were  shot  in  the  presence 
of  General  Scott,  his  staff,  and  the  army,  near  the  present  corner 


Before  the  hivasion  15 

of  Front  Avenue  and  Maryland  Street,  in  June,  18 14.  The 
volunteers,  however,  were  in  poor  condition  for  service.  On 
many  occasions  durint^  the  war  these  troops  had  shown  not  only 
inefficiency  but  absolute  cowardice.  The  reason  for  this  is  clear 
enough.  The  militia  of  that  day  consi.sted  of  men  who  would 
volunteer  only  for  short  terms,  and  a  man  who  had  served  five 
or  six  months  was  looked  upon  as  a  veteran,  the  average  term 
of  service  being  but  a  few  weeks.  They  were  poorly  armed, 
equipped,  and  commanded;  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  were 
content  to  endure  the  hardships  incident  to  a  soldier's  life  for 
only  a  few  weeks. 

The  late  war  with  Spain  has  clearly  shown  how  difficult  it  is 
to  supply  an  army  with  the  thousand  and  one  things  it  requires, 
although  at  the  present  time  the  resources  of  this  country  are 
practically  inexhaustible.  When  the  condition  of  the  country 
during  the  War  of  1812  is  considered,  the  statement  that  the 
volunteers  were  scantily  supplied  with  equipment  will  cause  no 
astonishment.  For  instance,  on  July  third,  the  day  Fort  Erie 
was  captured  and  the  Canadian  invasion  was  begun.  Porter's 
brigade  had  not  been  issued  a  rifle,  saber,  bayonet,  or  blanket, 
and  but  a  small  number  of  tents. 

The  volunteers  were  green  troops,  and  badly  handled;  and, 
being  jeered  at  and  made  a  convenience  of  by  the  regulars  in  the 
fatigue  work,  it  is  of  small  wonder  that  army  life  was  distasteful 
and  that  poor  service  resulted.  In  the  training  and  control  of 
these  volunteers,  General  Peter  B.  Porter,  then  a  Buffalonian, 
showed  great  ability;  and, as  he  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  of 
this  locality  —  and,  indeed,  of  the  state — a  gentleman  born  and 
bred,  of  fine  bearing  and  courtly  manners,  he  commanded  their 
respect  and  admiration.  General  Brown,  in  a  letter  to  Governor 
Tompkins,  referring  to  Porter,  only  stated  a  fact  when  he  said, 
"  In  the  midst  of  the  greatest  danger  I  have  found  his  mind  cool 
and  collected  and  his  judgment  to  be  relied  upon."  He  was  full 
of  resources  and  prompt  to  seize  a  favorable  opportunity  to  secure 
an  advantage,  although  not  bred  a  soldier.     His  conduct  during 


1 6  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

this  war  was  justly  recognized  by  the  government,  which  bre- 
vetted  him  a  Major  General;  and  for  his  gallantry  and  bravery 
during  the  war  Congress  voted  him  a  gold  medal.  Volunteer 
generals  of  capacity  and  aggressiveness  even  unto  this  day  are 
jealous  of  the  regular  army  officers  and  a  trifle  insubordinate. 
Porter  appears  to  have  been  no  exception  to  the  rule,  as  his  let- 
ters to  Governor  Tompkins  disclose,  but  when  it  came  to  a  fight 
he  loyally  supported  his  superiors  and  freely  exposed  his  life  to 
gain  a  victory.  Under  Porter  the  militia  stood  up  against  the 
trained  troops  of  the  British  like  veterans,  and  at  Chippewa, 
Lundy's  Lane,  and  P'ort  Erie  their  conduct  went  far  to  redeem 
the  bad  reputation  the  American  militia  had  acquired  during  the 
preceding  years  of  the  war. 

Porter  died  at  Niagara  Falls,  aged  seventy-one,  A  beautiful 
monument  was  erected  over  his  grave,  and  upon  it  is  engraved 
the  following  epitaph,  which  is  so  apt  an  estimate  of  his  services 
and  character  that  a  portion  of  it,  at  least,  is  well  worth  quoting. 

PETER  BUEL  PORTER. 

A  pioneer  in  western  New  York ;  a  statesman  emi- 
nent in  the  annals  of  the  nation  and  the  state ;  a  general 
in  the  armies  of  America  defending  in  the  field  what  he 
had  maintained  in  the  council.  *  *  *  Known  and 
mourned  throughout  that  extensive  region  which  he  had 
been  among  the  foremost  to  explore  and  to  defend. 

The  characters  of  Brown,  Scott,  and  Ripley  are  well  known. 
Each  was  uniformly  successful.  Brown  and  Scott  were  brave 
even  to  recklessness,  and  ready  to  fight  under  any  and  all  circum- 
stances, while  Ripley  inclined  to  overcautiousness. 

The  monthly  return  of  the  regulars  for  June  thirtieth,  1814, 
was  as  follows :  -, 

Present  for  Duty.  Aggregate 

N.  C.  O.  and  Men.       Officers.  Present  and  Absent. 

Scott's  Brigade  (First). 

Ninth  Regiment,                     332  iC  642 

Eleventh  Regiment,               416  17  577 

Twenty-second  Regiment,     217  12  287 

Twenty-fifth  Regiment,          354  16  619 

General  staff,  4  4 

Total,  1,319  65  2,129 


Before  the  Invasion  1 7 

Present  for  Duty.  Ajfgreeatr 
N.  C.  O.  and  Men.       Officers.          Present  and  Absent. 

RiPLEv's  Brigade  (Second). 

Twenty-first  Regiment.          651                   25  9^7 

Twenty-third  Regiment,         341                     ^  49° 

General  staff,                         _*  — ?_ 

Total,                                992                   35  1. 415 

Artillery  ( Major  Hindman ). 

Towson's,                                            89  loi 

Riddle's.                                               8"  '°4 

Ritchie's.                                            96  »3° 

Williams's,                                           oa  _Z3 

Total,                                           327  416 


1 8  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 


CHAPTER   III. 

The  Campaign  dawn  the  Niagara. 

Besides  ilie  l)rilliaiit  incidents  in  the  minor  operations  of  tlie  canipaiK".  the  splendid 
victories  gaineil  on  the  Canadian  siile  of  the  NiaKaJ'a  by  the  American  forces  under  Major 
General  Brown  and  Britjadiers  Scott  and  Gaines  have  gained  for  these  heroes  and  their  emu- 
lating companions  the  most  unfading  \a.\xtc\%.— Madison . 

On  the  second  day  of  July,  1814,  General  Brown  issued  an 
order  to  his  command  stating  that  he  was  authorized  by  the 
government  to  put  it  in  motion  against  the  enemy;  and  on  the 
same  day,  accompanied  by  Generals  Scott  and  Ripley,  he  made  a 
careful  reconnoissance  of  Fort  Erie  to  determine  u|)on  a  plan  of 
attack.  Fort  Erie  will  be  described  later  on.  It  is  sufficient  to 
state  here  that  it  was  a  poorly  fortified  stone  fort  defended  by  a 
small  garrison  of  about  one  hundred  and  forty  officers  and  men 
under  command  of  Major  Buck  of  the  British  army. 

On  the  third  of  July,  pursuant  to  the  plan  agreed  upon, 
Scott,  with  his  brigade  and  some  artillery  and  Indians,  crossed 
the  river  from  Black  Rock,  about  a  mile  below  the  fort,  whilst 
Ripley,  with  a  portion  of  his  brigade,  crossed  about  a  mile  above. 
Scott  reached  the  fort  first  (as  Ripley  from  some  cause  —  a  fog, 
some  authorities  say  —  seems  to  have  been  delayed),  and  alone 
invested  the  fort  at  daylight.  Scott  posted  some  eighteen- 
pounders  within  ea.sy  range  of  the  fort,  and  his  Indians  scoured 
the  woods.  Ripley  soon  joined  Scott,  and  the  fort  was  given 
two  hours  to  surrender.  Much  to  the  disgust  of  the  British 
commander  in  chief,  the  fort  capitulated  Sunday  afternoon,  July 
third,  1 8 14,  and  the  Americans  took  possession  with  a  loss  of  only 
four  men  wounded,  the  garrison  marching  out  and  stacking  arms. 
The  British  appeared  to  feel  its  loss  keenly.  General  Drumniond, 
writing  to  Sir  George  Prevost  July  tenth,  says: 

"  I  regret  exceedingly  the  loss  of  this  place,  which  I  had  the 
strongest  hopes  would  have  made  an  excellent  defence,  or,  at  all 
events,  held  the  enemy  in  check  for  several  days." 


The  Campaign  down  the  Niagara  1 9 

As  the  British  forces  were  stationed  at  Chippewa  Creek,  only 
a  day's  march  away,  reinforcements  could  have  reached  the  fort 
during  the  night  and  possibly  have  outnumbered  and  routed  the 
Americans,  In  fact,  several  companies  of  the  Royal  Scots  were 
marching  to  the  assistance  of  the  fort  when  the  news  reached 
them  that  it  had  capitulated.  In  a  general  order  issued  by  the 
governor  in  chief  of  Canada,  that  official  expresses  his  surprise 
and  mortification  that  the  fort  surrendered  "without  having  made 
an  adequate  defence." 

General  Brown's  forces  camped  about  the  fort  that  night; 
but  early  the  next  day,  leaving  Lieutenant  McDonough  and  a 
small  force  to  garrison  the  fort,  Brown  put  his  army  in  motion  to 
attack  the  British  forces  who  were  encamped  near  Chippewa 
Creek,  eighteen  miles  away  down  the  Niagara  River.  By  early 
morning  of  the  fifth  the  American  army  had  taken  up  position 
in  front  of  the  enemy,  and  on  that  day  the  severe  engagement  of 
Chippewa  took  place.  Both  sides  claimed  a  victory  in  the  official 
reports;  but  the  Americans  clearly  had  the  best  of  the  battle  in 
every  respect,  and  our  forces  were  jubilant  over  the  showing  they 
had  made  against  the  British  regulars.  * 

General  Brown  soon  set  to  work  cutting  a  road  through  the 
woods  to  Chippewa  Creek,  and  working  parties  protected  by  the 
riflemen  and  Indians  built  a  bridge  across  the  creek,  as  the  old 
bridge  was  occupied  by  the  British.  The  building  of  the  bridge 
enabled  Brown  to  turn  the  enemy's  right  flank,  which  Riall,  the 
British  commander,  was  quick  to  perceive.  He,  therefore,  on 
the  eighth  of  July,  retreated  to  Fort  George,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Niagara,  the  American  army  following  and  investing  the  fort. 
Here  the  Americans  remained  until  July  twenty-fifth,  when  Brown, 
failing  to  secure  the  cooperation  of  the  fleet  on  Lake  Ontario, 
and  finding  his  communications  threatened,  determined  to  move 
his  army  against  Burlington,  where  the  enemy  had  troops  and 

*"  We  had  never  seen  those  gray  jackets  before.  We  supposed  it  was  only  a  line  of 
militia  men,  and  wondered  why  you  did  hot  run  at  the  first  fire.  We  began  to  doubt  when 
we  found  you  stood  firmly  three  or  four  rounds  and  when  at  length  in  the  midst  of  our  battery 
blaze  we  saw  you  'port  arms'  and  advance  upon  us  we  were  utterly  amazed.  It  was  clear 
enough  we  had  something  besides  militia  men  to  deal  with."— y|  British  officer  to  Douglass. 


20        .  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

stores,  first  falling  back  to  Chippewa  in   order  to  deceive   the 
enemy  as  to  his  intentions. 

While  before  Fort  George  no  engagements  worth  mention- 
ing occurred;  but,  in  accordance,  apparently,  with  the  well-settled 
custom  at  that  time,  the  Americans  carried  on  a  predatory  war- 
fare against  the  defenseless  noncombatant  Canadians.  Major 
MacFarla  nd,  of  the  Twenty-third  United  States  Infantry,  in  a 
letter  to  his  wife,  written  at  the  time,  says: 

"  The  [American]  militia  and  Indians  plundered  and  burnt 
everything.  The  whole  population  is  against  us  ;  not  a  foraging 
party  but  is  fi''ed  on,  and  not  infrequently  returns  with  missing 
numbers.  This  state  was  to  be  anticipated.  The  militia  have 
burnt  several  private  dwellijig  houses  and  on  the  19th  inst.  burnt 
the  village  of  St.  Davids,  consisting  of  30  or  40  houses.  This 
was  done  within  three  miles  of  our  camp,  and  my  battalion  was 
sent  to  cover  the  retreat,  as  they  had  been  sent  to  scour  the 
country  and  it  was  presumed  they  might  be  pursued.  My  God, 
what  a  service!  I  never  witnessed  such  a  scene,  and  had  not  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  party,  Lieut.  Colonel  Stone  been  dis- 
graced and  sent  out  of  the  army  I  would  have  resigned."  * 

In  short,  no  one  can  examine  the  history  of  this  period  with- 
out coming  to  the  conclusion  that  the  well-recognized  laws  of  war- 
fare were  ignored  by  both  sides  and  that  each  burned  and  sacked 
defenseless  hamlets  almost  as  often  as  an  opportunity  presented 
itself 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  twenty-fifth  of  July  the  movement 
lo  Chippewa  began.  General  Scott,  with  the  First  Brigade  and 
the  artillery,  having  the  advance.  When  Scott  reached  the  vicin- 
ity of  Niagara  Falls  he  received  intelligence  that  the  enemy  was 
posted  at  Lundy's  Lane,  one  half  mile  west  of  the  falls,  and, 
although  it  was  nearly  sunset,  he  resolved  to  attack  at  once,  which 
he  did  with  great  vigor,  first  sending  word  back  to  Brown,  who 


♦  Poor  MacFarland  fell  a  few  days  afterwards  at  Lundy's  Lane. 


The  Campaign  down  the  Niagara  21 

was  with  the  main  body.  Scott  maintained  the  contest  alone  with 
great  skill  for  almost  an  hour,  but  after  a  time  Ripley  and  Porter 
came  up  with  their  brigades  and  the  battle  became  general. 

The  story  of  the  fight  has  been  well  told  by  Colonel  Cruik- 
shank.  As  the  battle  was  fought  partly  in  the  dark  (from  six 
o'clock  to  eleven)  many  curious  mistakes  occurred.  General 
Riall,  accompanied  by  his  staff  and  preceded  by  an  aide,  was 
riding  over  the  field  when  he  came  upon  a  regiment.  The  aide 
shouted,  "Make  room  there, men, for  General  Riall."  The  ranks 
gave  way,  and  the  general  and  his  staff  started  to  ride  through 
the  regiment,  when,  much  to  his  surprise,  he  was  suddenly  seized 
and  pulled  off  his  horse.  Astonished  beyond  measure  he  shouted, 
"What  does  all  this  mean?"  "You  are  prisoners,  sir,"  was  the 
answer.  "But  I  am  General  Riall."  "There  is  no  doubt  of  that," 
responded  his  captor, "and  I  am  Captain  Ketchum,of  the  United 
States  army."  Seeing  that  resistance  was  useless,  the  general 
was  heard  to  remark  sotto  voce,  "Captain  Ketchum  —  Ketchum. 
Well,  you  have  caught  us,  sure  enough." 

Both  sides  claimed  a  victory  —  the  British  because  the  Ameri- 
cans retreated  from  the  field  of  battle,  leaving  their  killed  and 
wounded,  all  the  captured  guns  but  one,  and  many  small  arms ; 
the  Americans  because  they  drove  the  British  from  their  position 
and  held  it  until  it  seemed  advisable  to  fall  back  to  their  camp, 
two  miles  away,  for  supplies  and  water.  Porter,  speaking  of  this 
fight  in  writing  Governor  Tompkins,  says: 

"  Our  victory  was  complete,  but,  alas,  this  victory,  gained  by 
exhibitions  of  bravery  never  surpassed  in  this  country,  was  con- 
verted into  a  defeat  by  a  precipitate  retreat,  leaving  the  dead,  the 
wounded,  and  captured  artillery  and  our  hard-earned  honor  to 
the  enemy.  I  entered  my  remonstrance  against  this  measure, 
and  I  confess  at  the  time  I  almost  wished  that  fate  had  swept 
another  General  from  the  combat.*  But  it  is  certain  that  no 
Militia  General  is  to  gain  any  military  fame  while  united  to  a 


*  Porter  would  then  have  succeeded  to  the  command. 


2  2  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

regular  force  and  commanded  by  their  officers.     *     *     *     j^ 
short,  I  have  been  brigadiered  until  I  am  quite  satisfied." 

Colonel  Hercules  Scott,  of  the  One-hundred-and-third  Regi- 
ment, writing  to  his  sister,  says: 

"On  the  5th  of  this  month  a  severe  action  [Chippewa]  was 
fought  within  about  five  miles  of  this  place,  wherein  our  troops 
were  defeated  with  heavy  loss.  In  the  first  action  I  was  not 
engaged,  but  we  had  another  severe  one  on  the  25th,  when  we 
had  rather  the  advantage." 

A  table  of  the  losses  at  Chippewa  and  Lundy's  Lane  will  be 
found  at  the  end  of  this  chapter,  which  will  show  how  desperate 
was  the  fighting.  As  Generals  Brown  and  Scott  were  both 
severely  wounded,  the  command  devolved  upon  Ripley,  who, 
acting  under  Brown's  directions,  withdrew  the  army  to  Fort  Erie, 
which  he  reached  at  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  July  twenty- 
sixth.  He  immediately  took  up  the  strongest  position  possible, 
and  awaited  the  attack  he  knew  was  inevitable. 

As  an  illustration  of  how  severe  the  losses  were  at  Lundy's 
Lane:  Colonel  Miller's  regiment  lost  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing  out  of  about  three  hundred  men. 
Colonel  Miller  was  the  man  who,  being  asked  during  the  battle 
if  his  regiment  (the  Twenty-first  infantry)  could  take  a  certain 
battery  made  the  historic  response,  "I  will  try,  sir."  Listen  to 
Miller's  report: 

"  It  was  then  evening,  but  moonlight.  General  Brown  turned 
to  me,  and  said:  'Col.  Miller,  take  your  regiment  and  storm  that 
work  and  take  it.'  I  had  short  of  three  hundred  men  with  me, 
as  my  regiment  had  been  much  weakened  by  the  numerous 
details  made  from  it  during  the  day.  I,  however,  immediately 
obeyed  the  order." 

Of  the  First  Brigade,  the  com_mander  (Scott),  his  aide,  a  staff 
major,  and  every  commander  of  battalion  were  either  killed  or 


The  Campaign  down  the  Niagara 


23 


wounded.  In  fact.  Scott's  brigade  was  all  cut  to  pieces  and  its 
remnants  were  collected  and  served  during  the  siege  of  Fort  Erie 
under  a  lieutenant  colonel. 

The  following  table  of  losses  is  interesting: 


Chippewa. 


American, 
British, 

Killed. 

60 

148 

Wounded. 

249 
221 

Missing. 

Total. 

328 
415 

Lundy's  Lane. 

American, 
British, 

171 

84 

554 

117 
2.^5 

858 
873* 

\A  missinGr. 

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!-»•« 


The  Beginning  of  the  Siege  25 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Beginning  of  the  Siege. 

As  already  stated,  Fort  Erie  was  constructed  by  the  British 
in  1764,  and  was  intended  more  as  a  fortified  trading  post  than  a 
fort  to  withstand  a  siege.  A  careful  and  technical  description 
of  the  fort  will  be  found  in  Volume  II.,  page  216,  of  The  Histor- 
ical Magazine  (third  series),  to  which  the  reader  is  referred. 
When  captured  by  us  it  consisted  of  two  bastions,  one  on  the  north 
and  the  other  on  the  south  face  of  a  rectangular  stone  structure, 
these  being  connected  on  the  westerly  side  by  a  line  of  pickets, 
an  abattis,  and  a  ditch.  Two  blockhouses,  or  mess  buildings, 
were  situated  on  a  continuation  of  the  easterly  faces  of  the  bas- 
tions, leaving  a  space  between  the  blockhouses  of  barely  forty  feet. 
This  space  was  fortified  by  a  curtain  running  from  one  blockhouse 
to  the  other,  in  which  was  located  the  main  gate  of  the  fort.  On 
the  easterly  side  of  the  fort  was  a  ravelin.  The  fort  was  of  stone, 
and  the  construction  was  too  light  to  resist  anything  but  the  field- 
pieces  of  that  period.  The  woods  on  the  north  and  west  came 
down  to  within  sixty  rods  of  our  works;  but,  save  a  ravine  two 
hundred  yards  to  the  north,  the  terrain  was  generally  level  and 
inclined  to  be  swampy.  It  had  been  in  our  possession  before 
during  the  war.  On  May  twenty-sixth,  181 3,  the  commandant 
of  the  fort,  who  held  the  place  with  some  Canadian  militia,  having 
bombarded  Black  Rock  since  the  day  before,  and  fearing  an 
attack,  blew  up  his  magazine,  destroyed  his  supplies,  and,  after 
dismissing  his  troops,  evacuated  the  fort,  whereupon  the  Amer- 
icans promptly  crossed  over  the  river  and  took  possession  of  it. 
Subsequent  events,  however,  compelled  us  in  turn  to  abandon  it. 

As  previously  stated.  Lieutenant  McDonough  and  a  small 
garrison  were  left  in  the  fort  while  Brown  was  operating  down  the 
Niagara.  This  officer  worked  diligently  strengthening  the  fort 
by  deepening  the  ditches  and  raising  the  bastions.     He  also  took 


26  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

out  the  line  of  pickets  on  the  west  flank  and  began  the  construc- 
tion of  a  redoubt  to  protect  the  bastions. 

When  Ripley  reached  the  fort  it  was  in  a  very  poor  condition 
to  resist  a  determined  assault;  but  there  were  several  excellent 
regular  army  engineers  in  the  army,  and  the  work  of  fortifying 
the  position  was  entrusted  to  them.  General  Ripley  took  up  the 
strongest  available  position,  with  his  right  resting  in  the  fort  and 
his  left  extending  nearly  parallel  to  the  lake  some  seven  hundred 
yards  southerly  to  a  small  hillock  called  Snake  Hill,  where  the 
water  line  curved  in  towards  the  west.  This  brought  our  left 
only  about  fifty  yards  from  the  lake.  Nature  added  nothing  to 
the  strength  of  the  position,  and,  as  its  weakness  was  appreciated, 
strenuous  efforts  were  soon  made  to  strengthen  it  in  every  way 
possible.  The  following  improvements  were  commenced:  an 
earthwork  from  the  southerly  side  of  the  fort  to  the  hillock  on 
our  extreme  left;  an  embrasure  on  the  hillock  for  Towson's 
battery  of  five  guns;  two  bastions  on  the  west  side  of  the  fort; 
embrasures  for  Riddle's  and  Fontaine's  batteries;  an  earthwork 
running  easterly  from  the  fort  towards  Niagara  River,  with  an 
embrasure  for  Douglass's  battery  on  the  easterly  end;*  numerous 
camp  traverses;  an  abattis  from  the  Niagara  River  on  our  right, 
extending  clear  around  the  works  to  the  river  on  our  left;  and  the 
completion  of  the  redoubt  commenced  by  McDonough.  It  will 
be  seen  that  these  improvements  converted  a  very  weak  fort  into 
a  rather  strong  position,  and  the  fort  changed  into  a  fortified  camp 
with  the  rear  open  and  protected  by  the  Niagara. 

While  this  work  was  being  vigorously  prosecuted,  on  the 
first  of  August,  Sir  Gordon  Drummond,  who  held  the  rank  of 
lieutenant  general,  appeared  before  the  fort  with  upwards  of  four 
thousand  men,t  drove  in  the  American  pickets,  and  took  up  a 


♦  Lossing:  states  that  Douglass's  battery  was  mounted  en  barbette  in  s>  small  stonework, 
but  more  reliable  authorities  state  that  the  battery  was  finally  planted  in  an  e..'rthwork  like  the 
others.    It  was  at  first  laid  en  barbette  and  afterwards  changed. 

t  Many  of  these  men  were  veterans  fresh  from  Wellington's  army.  After  the  battle  of 
Lundy's  Lane  Drummond  had  been  reinforced  by  De  Watteville's  regiment,  6ne  thousand  or 
twelve  hundred  strong,  recruited  in  Spain,  and  composed  of  Poles,  Spaniards,  Germans,  and 
Portuguese. 


The  Beginning  of  the  Siege  27 

position  on  the  hills  opposite  Black  Rock.  Apparently  at  this 
time  he  did  not  anticipate  a  very  stout  resistance  from  the  fort, but 
subsequent  events  increased  his  respect  for  American  prowess. 

On  the  second  of  August  occurred  the  first  clash  between 
the  opposing  forces,  and  this  on  American  soil,  within  the  present 
limits  of  Buffalo.  General  Brown  had  posted  some  two  hundred 
and  forty  men,  composing  the  First  Battalion  of  the  First  Regi- 
ment of  riflemen  under  Major  Morgan,  an  extremely  capable  offi- 
cer, on  the  American  side  of  the  river  as  a  guard  to  protect  Black 
Rock  and  Buffalo.  General  Drummond  immediately  perceived 
that  if  he  could  destroy  the  stores  of  ordnance  and  supplies,  and 
defeat  the  militia  at  Black  Rock  and  Buffalo,  it  would  seriously 
embarass  the  defenders  of  Fort  Erie,  if  it  did  not  cause  them  to 
surrender.  He  therefore  directed  Lieutenant  Colonel  Tucker, 
with  a  force  of  six  hundred  men,  to  cross  the  river  before  day- 
light on  the  third  and  carry  out  the  project. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  Major  Morgan  observed 
movements  of  the  enemy  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  river  which 
led  him  Lo  suspect  he  might  be  attacked.  He  immediately  took 
up  a  position  on  the  south  bank  of  Scajaquada  Creek  command- 
ing the  bridge,  threw  up  log  breastworks,  and  awaited  develop- 
ments. At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  third,  Morgan's 
pickets  reported  Tucker  to  be  crossing  the  river.  Morgan  there- 
upon took  up  a  portion  of  the  planks  forming  the  roadway  across 
the  bridge  and  awaited  the  attack. 

Shortly  after  four  that  morning  Tucker  attacked  Morgan's 
position,  endeavoring  to  cross  the  bridge  and  carry  it  by  assault. 
The  British  bravely  advanced  to  the  attack ;  but  when  the  rushing 
column  perceived  the  absence  of  the  roadway  of  the  bridge  it 
recoiled,  the  Americans  in  the  meantime  pouring  in  a  withering 
fire,  and  in  the  confusion  some  of  the  assailants  were  crowded  off 
the  bridge  into  the  waters  of  the  creek.  The  assault  failed,  but, 
not  disheartened,  the  British  endeavored  to  repair  the  bridge 
under  fire.  This  attempt  also  failed,  as  the  bridge  was  completely 
commanded  by  the  fire  of  Morgan's  men.     Retiring,  the  British 


28  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

started  up  a  fire  at  long  range,  and,  detaching  a  column,  endeav- 
ored to  ford  the  creek  above  the  bridge;  but  Morgan,  on  the 
alert  for  such  a  move,  sent  sixty  men  to  oppose  the  movement, 
who  completely  repulsed  the  British.  Tucker,  after  consultation 
with  his  officers,  determined  to  retreat,  and  thereupon  skillfully 
withdrew  across  the  Niagara  with  his  killed  and  wounded,  "ow- 
ing [as  he  says]  to  the  enemy  having  destroyed  the  bridge  over 
Conguichity*  Creek  prior  to  our  arrival  at  that  point,  and  there 
being  no  possibility  of  fording  it."  Tucker,  in  his  official  report, 
attributes  the  failure  of  the  attack  to  the  cowardice  of  his  men. 
He  reports  a  loss  of  twelve  killed,  seventeen  wounded,  and  five 
missing.  Our  loss  was  two  killed  and  eight  wounded.  This 
skirmish  greatly  encouraged  the  Americans;  and,  besides,  it 
resulted  in  an  increase  of  the  force  at  Buffalo,  which  deterred 
Drummond  from  making  another  attempt.  This  skirmish  was 
afterwards  known  as  the  Battle  of  Conjockety,  and  Morgan  as  the 
"  hero  of  Conjockety.". 

Drummond,  always  prone  to  find  fault,  issued  an  order 
publicly  censuring  the  troops  for  their  cowardice.  The  following 
is  an  extract  from  the  order: 

"  The  indignation  excited  in  the  mind  of  the  Lieut.-General 
from  discovering  that  the  failure  of  an  expc  tion  the  success  of 
which  by  destroying  the  enemy's  means  ot  subsistence  would 
have  compelled  his  force  on  this  side  to  have  surrendered  to  the 
troops  by  which  he  is  invested  or  by  risquing  an  action  with  the 
Lieut.-General  in  the  field  to  have  met  certain  defeat  has  been 
solely  caused  by  the  misbehavior  of  the  troops  employed  on  this 
honorable  service  will  not  permit  him  to  expatiate  on  a  subject 
so  unmilitary  and  disgraceful.  *  *  *  Xo  the  troops  most 
particularly  alluded  to  it  is  the  Lieut.-General's  determination  to 
afford  an  immediate  opportunity  of  at  once  effacing  from  his  mind 
the  impression  which  the  report  of  the  officers  and  his  own 
observation  have  produced  and  of  averting  that  report  of  their 


*  That  is,  Conjockety. 


The  Beginning  of  the  Siege  29 

conduct  which  he  shall  feel  it  his  indispensable  and  imperious 
duty  to  lay  at  the  feet  of  his  sovereign. 

"  Crouching,  ducking,  or  laying  down  when  advancing  under 
fire  are  bad  habits  and  must  be  corrected." 

If  Drummond  had  taken  Buffalo  the  American  base  of  com- 
munications would  have  been  cut  off  and  our  army  compelled 
to  evacuate  the  fort  at  once.  If  Drummond  laid  so  much  impor- 
tance to  this  skirmish  it  is  difficult  to  see  why  he  did  not  attempt 
the  movement  later  on  with  a  larger  force,  to  which  the  Americans 
could  have  made  little,  if  any,  resistance.  The  American  army 
would  have  then  been  placed  in  a  serious  predicament. 

On  the  day  this  fight  occurred  General  Drummond  pushed 
forward  a  brigade  to  the  edge  of  the  woods  surrounding  Fort 
Erie,  and,  making  a  careful  reconnoissance  of  the  position,  decided 
after  "  mature  consideration  "  not  to  assault  until  after  the  guns 
of  heavy  caliber  he  had  sent  for  from  Fort  George  were  mounted 
and  had  made  a  breach  in  the  walls.  In  coming  to  this  decision, 
Drummond  made  his  first  serious  mistake,  which  the  Americans 
hailed  with  considerable  satisfaction.  The  works  were  weak  and  ill 
fitted  to  stand  the  determined  assault  Drummond's  veterans  were 
capable  of  making,  and  which  they  afterward  made;  and  each  day 
was  improved  by  our  forces  in  putting  them  into  better  condition. 
Never  was  delay  more  fatal  to  the  success  of  a  movement. 

An  assault  was  not  made  until  the  fifteenth  of  August,  when 
all  the  batteries  were  in  position;  but  at  this  time  (August 
fourth)  Towson's  battery,  on  our  left,  which  gave  the  British  the 
most  trouble  during  the  assault,  was  not  planted,  which  would 
have  rendered  our  left  easil)^  flanked  and  turned.  This  battery 
was  not  completed  until  the  tenth.  The  mistake  was  most  serious. 
The  Americans,  although  somewhat  surprised,  immediately  laid 
aside  their  muskets  and  went  to  work  with  their  spades;  and, 
although  the  proposed  improvements  had  not  all  been  made  by 
August  fifteenth,  the  defenses  were  soon  in  a  tolerable  condition 
to  resist  an  attack. 


30  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

Brown,  it  appears,  was  not  satisfied  with  Ripley's  conduct 
during  his  term  of  command  after  Lundy's  Lane.  One  reason 
for  Brown's  complaint  was  that  he  claims  to  have  ordered  Ripley 
to  retake  possession  of  the  battlefield  of  Lundy's  Lane  early  in 
the  morning  following  the  battle,  and  that  Ripley  failed  to  carry 
out  the  order.  In  any  event,  Brown  and  Scott  both  being  dis- 
abled by  wounds.  Major  General  Edmund  P.  Gaines  was  sent 
for  to  come  on  from  Sackett's  Harbor.  He  arrived  on  August 
fourth,  and  at  once  assumed  command.  Although  General  Rip- 
ley was  superseded,  he  appears  to  have  always  conducted  himself 
with  conspicuous  gallantry,  and  led  his  troops  with  more  than 
ordinary  ability.  He  was  a  loyal,  brave  man.  Gaines  at  this  time 
was  thirty-seven  years  old,  and  a  man  of  fine  presence.  His 
high  reputation  had  preceded  him,  and  his  arrival  at  Fort  Erie 
caused  great  enthusiasm  in  the  little  army.  He  was  a  soldier  by 
profession,  and  had  worked  his  way  from  a  lieutenancy  through 
the  various  grades  to  that  of  a  brigadier  generalship  in  the  reg- 
ular army.  He  was  brevetted  a  major  general,  and  received  a  gold 
medal  and  the  thanks  of  Congress  for  his  services  and  bravery 
at  Fort  Erie;  and,  in  addition  to  these  honors,  three  s«-ates  pre- 
sented him  with  swords.  He  died  at  New  Orleans,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two. 

While  the  Americans  were  engaged  in  strengthening  their 
works,  the  British  were  not  idle.  Parallel  lines  of  earthworks 
and  abattis  were  constructed  northwesterly  from  Fort  Erie,  the 
nearest  of  which  was  about  five  hundred  yards  away,  running 
from  the  river  almost  due  west  for  one  thousand  yards.  Two 
blockhouses  were  built  and  embrasures  constructed  for  two  bat- 
teries—  Number  One  situated  near  the  river,  nearly  a  thousand 
yards  from  our  works,  and  Number  Two  situated  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  nearer  the  fort  and  about  two  hundred 
yards  from  the  river.*  It  took  some  time  to  complete  them, 
Battery  Number  Two  not  opening  fire  until  August  nineteenth, 
or  even  later.     It  consisted  of  two  long  eighteen-pounders,  one 


*  The  location  of  these  batteries  is  shown  upon  the  map  on  page  24. 


TJie  Beginning  of  the  Siege  3 1 

twenty-four-pound  carronade,  and  an  eight-inch  howitzer.  These 
batteries  were  planted  in  the  woods,  and  when  completed  ave- 
nues were  cut  through  the  trees  to  admit  of  their  playing  upon 
our  lines;  but,  owing  to  the  construction  of  the  artillery  of  that 
day,  it  was  soon  found  that  both  batteries  were  laid  too  far  away 
to  admit  of  their  doing  very  effective  execution.  It  was  thought 
when  they  were  erected  they  would  soon  batter  down  the  fort, 
because  they  took  our  works  in  reverse,  but  throughout  the 
whole  siege  they  did  com  >aratively  little  mischief  The  British 
had  their  camp  at  Waterloo,  nearly  two  miles  from  their  lines, 
one  brigade  being  constantly  on  duty  at  the  front. 

The  map  found  at  the  front  of  this  sketch,  to  which  the 
attention  of  the  reader  is  called,  will  make  clear  the  relative  posi- 
tions of  the  two  armies. 

The  British  army  consisted  of  upwards  of  four  thousand, 
while  our  forces  at  first  did  not  exceed  two  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred. On  August  first,  Lieutenant  Douglass  fired  one  of  his 
pieces  at  an  advance  party  of  the  enemy,  and  on  the  second  some 
American  soldiers,  without  orders,  fired  a  cannon  at  the  British; 
but  neither  side  really  opened  fire  with  any  energy  until  August 
seventh,  when  the  British  opened  with  all  their  available  guns. 
The  Americans  displayed  their  colors  from  every  staff;  the  field 
music  and  regimental  bands  struck  up  Yankee  Doodle;  and  amid 
the  cheers  of  the  garrison  the  fire  was  returned  with  spirit,  if  not 
with  effect.  The  cannonading  continued  with  only  slight  inter- 
missions until  August  fifteenth.  Up  to  this  time  skirmishing 
was  daily  going  on  between  the  lines,  in  which  many  more  were 
killed  and  wounded  than  the  importance  of  the  results  accom- 
plished by  the  movements  seem  to  justify.  On  the  twelfth  of 
August,  in  a  skirmish,  Major  Morgan,  the  "heroof  Conjockety  " 
was  killed  —  a  loss  which  our  army  felt  severely.  General  Drum- 
mond,  in  a  letter  to  Sir  George  Prevost,  dated  August  twelfth, 
not  only  refers  to  this  skirmishing,  but  makes  a  statement  very 
significant  of  the  mode  of  warfare  then  apparently  regarded  as 
entirely  proper.     He  says:  ....    .i 


32  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

"The  enemy  makes  daily  efforts  with  his  riflemen  to  dislodge 
our  advanced  picquets  and  to  obtain  a  reconnoissance  of  what 
we  are  doing.  These  attacks,  tho'  feeble  and  invariably  repulsed, 
yet  harass  our  troops  and  occasion  us  some  loss.  I  enclose 
returns  of  those  of  the  loth  and  of  this  day.  Your  Excellency 
will  observe  with  concern  that  on  both  occasions  we  have  lost  an 
officer  killed.  I  am  happy  to  report  that  on  every  occasion  the 
troops  show  great  steadiness  and  invariably  inflict  a  loss  on  the 
enemy  more  considerable  than  their  own.  The  Indians  went 
forward  with  great  spirit  the  day  before  yesterday,  ayid  in  the 
affctir  of  this  day  it  has  just  been  reported  to  me  they  surprised, 
took,  and  scalped  every  man  of  one  of  the  eneviy's  picquets!' 

This  last  sentence  is  italicized,  not  to  emphasize  how  de- 
praved the  British  were,  but  to  show  the  mode  of  warfere  of  the 
period. 

The  almost  incessant  fire  of  the  enemy  greatly  annoyed  the 
garrison,  and  more  especially  the  parties  told  off  to  work  on  the 
fortifications,  although  great  pains  wee  taken  to  protect  them. 
Notwithstanding  the  precautions  used,  it  w-as  a  not  infrequent 
occurrence  for  a  shot  to  strike  amongst  a  party  with  great  effect. 
The  enemy  elevated  their  pieces,  and  by  using  small  charges  of 
powder  dropped  shells  and  round  shot  into  the  fort  from  such 
an  elevation  that  the  traverses  were  of  little  protection.  For 
instance:  a  sergeant  was  being  shaved  in  a  spot  protected  by  the 
traverse,  when  both  his  head  and  the  hand  of  the  barber  were 
taken  off  by  a  single  shot.  Such  casualties  happened  altogether 
too  frequently  for  the  peace  of  mind  of  the  little  army,  although 
the  men  soon  became  somewhat  accustomed  to  the  danger. 

On  the  twelfth  of  August  the  Americans  opened  on  the 
British  with  a  battery  situated  at  Black  Rock,  almost  the  first 
discharge  wounding  a  sergeant  and  five  men.  This  fire  annoyed 
the  enemy  considerably  during  the  siege,  and  compelled  them  to 
construct  numerous  camp  traverses  to  protect  themselves  from 
the  flank  fire. 


The  Begitmifig  of  the  Siege  2i2> 

Three  armed  American  schooners  of  small  tonnage,  formerly 
belonging  to  Perry's  fleet,  were  anchored  off  the  fort,  and  by  a 
flank  fire  added  greatly  to  the  strength  of  our  position.  Captain 
Dobbs,  of  the  Royal  Navy,  conceived  the  idea  of  embarking  a 
force  in  small  boats,  and,  by  representing  them  to  be  provision 
boats  from  Fort  Erie,  to  board  and  capture  the  schooners. 
Accordingly,  on  the  night  of  the  twelfth,  with  a  party  of  seventy 
sailors  and  marines,  Dobbs,  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  suc- 
ceeded, with  small  loss,  in  capturing  the  Ohio  and  the  Somers, 
the  Porcupijie,  the  third  schooner,  escaping.  These  schooners 
mounted  three  long  twelve-pounders,  and  carried  thirty-five  men 
each.    The  loss  to  us,  while  not  very  severe,  was  considerable. 

Colonel  Hercules  Scott,  in  a  letter  to  his  brother  dated 
August  twelfth,  a  part  of  which  was  written  August  fourteenth, 
says  : 

"Since  writing  the  above  our  battery  (No.  i  )  has  opened 
against  the  Fort  and  continued  the  whole  of  yesterday  without 
having  the  smallest  effect.  It  is  at  much  too  great  a  distance.  I 
expect  we  shall  be  ordered  to  storm  tomorrow.  I  have  little  hope 
of  success  from  this  manceuvre.  I  shall  probably  write  you  more, 
that  is,  if  I  get  over  this  present  business." 

Colonel  Scott  fell  August  fifteenth  at  the  head  of  his  regiment. 


34  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Attack  on  the  Fort. 

"  The  attack  on  this  place  was  perhaps  the  most  gallant  of  the  whole  war." 

— Auchinlock. 

The  narrative  now  reaches  a  point  where  the  first  hard  fight- 
ing occurred.  General  Drummond,  having  made  several  careful 
reconnoissances  of  the  American  position,  came  to  the  conclusion 
it  could  be  carried  by  assault.  Our  works  did  present  several  vul- 
nerable places  ;  for,  notwithstanding  the  great  efforts  made  by  the 
Americans  during  the  past  fortnight,  the  abattis  was  weak,  and 
openings  existed  bevveen  Douglass's  battery  and  the  river  on 
our  right  and  between  the  fort  and  the  breastworks  running  east- 
erly to  the  river.  Our  left  Drummond  also  considered  somewhat 
weak,  but  subsequent  events  proved  otherwise.  It  may  be  well 
at  this  point  to  again  recur  to  our  position  and  see  how  our 
forces  were  disposed.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Douglass's 
battery,  consisting  of  a  six-pounder  and  an  eighteen-pounder,  was 
situated  on  our  extreme  right  and  rear;  that  Towson's  battery 
of  six  guns,  all  fieldpieces,  occupied  Snake  Hill  on  our  extreme 
left,  and  was  elevated  some  twenty  feet,  so  as  to  completely  com- 
mand the  esplanade;  that  Fontaine's,  afterwards  Fanning's, battery 
of  two  guns  was  planted  near  the  fort  at  the  northerly  end  of 
the  breastwork,  while  Biddle's  battery  of  three  guns  was  posted 
on  the  breastwork  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the 
fort.  The  fort  mounted  a  twenty-four-pounder,  an  eighteen- 
pounder,  and  a  twelve-pounder.  The  artillery  was  all  under  the 
command  of  Major  Hindman,of  the  regulars,  and  apparently  was 
handled  with  great  skill.  Parts  of  the  Eleventh,  Ninth,  and 
Twenty-second  regiments  of  regulars,  under  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Aspinwall,  were  posted  on  our  right;  Porter,  with 
his  militia  and  the  First  and  Fourth  regiments  of  riflemen  held 
the  center ;  while  on  the  left  General  Ripley  was  posted  with  the 


The  Attack  on  the  Fort  .  35 

Twenty-first  and  Twenty-third  regulars.  Fort  Erie  was  defended 
by  the  Nineteenth  United  States  Infantry  under  Captain  WiUiams. 

General  Drummond,  having  determined  to  assault  on  the 
fifteenth  of  August,  decided  to  pave  the  way  by  a  vigorous  can- 
nonading, which  he  began  at  sunrise  on  the  thirteenth  and  con- 
tinued until  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  that  day.  He  resumed 
firing  on  the  fourteenth  at  daybreak,  and  it  was  then  continued 
without  intermission  up  to  an  hour  before  the  time  the  assault 
was  made.  We  returned  the  fire  briskly  a  portion  of  the  time. 
During  this  period  we  lost  ten  killed  and  thirty-five  wounded, 
and  our  troops  were  greatly  annoyed  by  the  incessant  fire.  The 
works,  however,  were  not  seriously  damaged,  although  Drum- 
mond reported  that  "the  stone  building  had  been  much  injured 
and  the  general  outline  of  the  parapet  and  embrasures  very  much 
altered." 

General  Drummond  carefully  planned  his  attack.  His 
"  arrangement "  is  here  set  out  in  full,  because,  as  he  engaged  all 
his  organizations,  it  will  show  the  different  ones  that  composed 
his  army,  as  well  as  the  disposition  of  his  troops. 

(secret.) 

"  Headquarters, 
"Camp  before  Fort  Erie,  14th  Aug.,  1814. 

Arrangement. 

''Right  Column — Lt.-Col.  Fischer: 

King's  Regiment. 

Volunteers — Regt.  De  Watteville. 

Light  Companies  —  89th  and  looth  Regts. 

Detachment  Royal  Artillery,  one  officer  and  12  men  and  a 
rocketeer  with  a  couple  of  12-pound  rockets.  :  .  . 

Capt.  Eustace's  picquet  of  cavalry,  '   " 

Capt.  Powell,  Deputy- Asst.-Quartermaster  General  will  con- 
duct this  column,  which  is  to  attack  the  left  of  the  enemy's  position. 


36  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

''Centre  Column — Lt.-Col.  Drummond: 

Flank  Companies — 41st  Regiment. 

do.  do.  104th     do. 

Royal  Marines  —  50. 
Seamen — 90. 

Detachment  Royal  Artillery,  one  subaltern  and  12  men. 
Capt.  Barney,  89th  Regt,  will  guide  this  column,  which  is 
to  attack  the  fort. 

''Left  Column — Col.  Scott,  lojd Regt.: 

103d  Regt. 

Capt.  Elliott,  Deputy-Asst.-Quartermaster-General,  will  con- 
duct this  column,  which  will  attack  the  right  of  the  enemy's 
position  towards  the  lake,  and  endeavor  to  penetrate  by  the 
opening  between  the  fort  and  the  entrenchment,  using  the  short 
ladders  at  the  same  time  to  pass  the  entrenchment  which  is 
reported  to  be  defended  only  by  the  enemy's  9th  Regt.,  250 
strong. 

"The  infantry  picquets  on  Buck's  road  to  be  pushed  on  with 
the  Indians  to  attack  the  enemy's  picquets  on  that  road. 
Lt.-Col.  Nichols,  Quartermaster-General  of  Militia,  will  conduct 
this  column. 

"The  rest  of  the  troops,  viz.: 
1st  Battalion  Royals, 
Reinainder  of  De  Watteville's  Regt., 
Glengarry  Light  Infantry  and  Incorporated  Militia, 
will  remain  in  reserve  under  Lt.-Col.  Tucker  and  are  to  be  posted 
on  the  ground  at  present  occupied  by  our  picquets  and  covering 
parties. 

"Squadron  of  19th  Dragoons  in  rear  of  the  battery  nearest 
to  the  advance,  ready  to  receive  charge  of  prisoners  and  conduct 
them  to  the  rear. 

"The  Lieut.-General  will  station  himself  at  or  near  the  bat- 
tery, where  reports  are  to  be  made  to  him. 


The  Attack  on  the  Fort  37 

"Lt.-Col.  Fischer,  commanding  the  right  column,  will  follow 
the  instructions  he  has  received,  copy  of  which  is  communicated 
to  Col.  Scott  and  Lt.-Col.  Drummond  for  their  guidance. 

"  The  Lieut.-General  most  strongly  recommends  a  free  use  of 
the  bayonet.  The  enemy's  force  does  not  exceed  1500  fit  for 
duty,  and  those  are  represented  as  much  dispirited. 

"The  ground  on  which  the  columns  of  attack  are  to  be 
formed  will  be  pointed  out,  and  the  orders  for  their  guidance 
will  be  given  by  the  Lieut.-General  commanding. 

"J.  HARVEY, 

"D.  A.  G." 

As  nearly  as  can  be  estimated  these  columns  were  of  the 
following  strength : 


Fischer  s  column, 

1, 100 

Drummond's  column, 

700 

Scott's  column, 

750 

2,550 

Most  careful  and  explicit  written  instructions  were  issued  to 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Fischer,directing  how  the  details  of  the  assault 
on  our  left  should  be  carried  out,  and  copies  of  these  were  given 
Colonels  Drummond  and  Scott,  the  leaders  of  the  other  columns. 
Fischer  was  directed  to  move  out  from  his  camp  before  dark  on  the 
fourteenth  and  take  up  a  position  in  the  woods  as  close  to  our  left 
as  possible,  exercising  the  greatest  care  that  the  enemy  be  not 
advised  of  his  presence  through  deserters.  Loud  talking  was 
forbidden;  no  fires  were  to  be  lit;  and  hourly  roll  calls  were  directed 
to  be  held.  The  American  troops  were  thought  by  the  British 
to  be  "  diminished  and  dispirited,"  and  possibly  this  fact  caused 
Drummond  to  make  another  curious  but  serious  mistake.  In 
Fischer's  letter  of  instructions  from  Drummond  he  is  directed  to 
have  his  men  (except  the  reserve)  remove  the  flints  from  their 
muskets  to  obviate  any  chance  of  their  firing  prematurely  and  "  to 
insure  secrecy."     His  order  says  :   .___.__  _. ^ _i-^ 


-> 


8  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 


"  The  advantages  which  will  arise  from  taking  out  the  flints 
are  obvious.  Combined  with  darkness  and  silence,  it  will  effec- 
tually conceal  the  situation  and  number  of  our  troops  ;  and  those 
of  the  enemy  being  exposed  by  his  fire  and  his  white  trousers, 
which  are  very  conspicuous  marks  to  our  view,  it  will  enable 
them  to  use  the  bayonet  with  effect,  which  that  valuable  weapon 
has  been  ever  found  to  possess  in  the  hands  of  British  soldiers." 

These  instructions  in  respect  to  the  flints  also  applied  to  the 
other  columns. 

So  much  for  the  plan. 

While  the  American  troops  were  engaged  in  the  usual 
evening  parade  on  the  fourteenth,  a  shell  from  the  enemy  struck 
within  the  fort  and  exploded  a  small  magazine,  which  blew  up 
with  a  tremendous  report  heard  for  miles.  The  English,  thinking 
the  shell  had  done  serious  damage,  set  up  a  "  loud  and  joyous 
shout,"  which  the  Americans  were  not  slow  to  answer  by 
hearty  cheers ;  and  the  gallant  Captain  Williams,  killed  a  few 
hours  afterwards,  before  the  smoke  of  the  explosion  had  lifted, 
renewed  the  cannonading  from  the  largest  gun  within  the  fort. 

Gaines  during  the  past  few  days  had  observed  several  things 
which  made  it  clear  to  him  an  assault  was  imminent,  and  thinking 
the  explosion  of  the  magazine  might  encourage  the  enemy  to 
make  it  that  night  took  every  precaution  to  insure  a  successful 
defense.  One  third  of  the  garrison  was  kept  on  duty,  and  the 
balance  lay  down  on  their  arms  ready  to  fall  in  at  a  minute's 
notice.  Lighted  dark  lanterns  were  placed  at  the  guns ;  bags  of 
canister  were  hung  within  easy  reach  ;  and  the  guns  were  charged 
afresh.  Before  turning  in,  Gaines,  accompanied  by  his  engineers, 
went  carefully  over  the  works,  spoke  a  word  of  encouragement  to 
the  men,  and  saw  that  his  command  was  prepared  to  make  a 
prompt  and  stout  defense.  When  McRea,  the  chief  engineer, 
visited  Douglass,  he  told  him  if  the  threatened  attack  did  come 
he  could  rely  upon  it  his  battery  would  be  one  of  the  points 
assailed.    Douglass  relates  how  bags  of  musket  balls  suited  to  the 


The  Attack  on  the  Fort  39 

caliber  of  his  guns  were  hung  beside  each  piece,  how  linstocks 
were  placed  where  they  could  be  easily  reached  and  dark  lanterns 
lit,  and  how  the  guns  were  charged  so  heavily  with  grape  shot 
that  the  last  wad  could  be  touched  with  the  hand.  The  gun 
crews  lay  on  the  platforms  ready  to  leap  to  the  guns  at  the  first 
alarm,  which  all  felt  sure  would  sooii  come.  The  garrison  had 
not  the  slightest  intimation  of  an  attack,  so  far  as  the  English 
could  observe.  The  timely  precautions  so  wisely  taken  by  Gaines 
undoubtedly  saved  the  day  for  the  Americans. 

The  night  was  pitch  dark,  and  during  the  fore  part  of  the 
evening  rain  had  been  falling.  A  picket  of  one  hundred  men 
under  Lieutenant  Belknap  of  the  Twenty-third  Infantry,  along 
about  two  in  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth  heard  suspicious  sounds 
coming  from  the  direction  the  enemy  would  naturally  advance. 
Not  wishing  to  alarm  the  garrison  needlessly,  he  waited  until  he 
was  sure  a  column  (  Fischer's  )  was  approaching,  when  he  fired  a 
volley  and  slowly  retreated  upon  the  fort  firing  as  he  came.  He 
gallantly  kept  the  enemy  in  check  for  a  short  time,  which  was  of 
great  value  to  our  forces ;  and  as  he  brought  up  the  rear  he  re- 
ceived a  severe  bayonet  wound  just  as  he  was  about  to  enter  the 
fort,  so  close  did  the  enemy's  advance  press  him.  The  objective 
of  Fischer's  attack  was  the  space  between  our  left  and  the  river ; 
but  the  enemy  carried  scaling  ladders  and  were  prepared  to  mount 
our  works  wherever  opportunity  offered.  But  instead  of  over- 
powering the  small  interior  guard  and  bayoneting  the  sleepy 
occupants  of  the  garrison  before  a  resolute  defense  could  be  made, 
as  the  British  hoped  to  do,  they  found  they  were  confronted  with 
an  entirely  different  situation.  No  sooner  was  the  first  shot  heard 
than  the  officers  ran  down  the  lines  of  tents  crying  "  To  arms  !  to 
arms !  "  The  reserves,  all  dressed  and  ready  for  the  fight,  ran  to 
the  parapets  to  assist  their  comrades,  while  the  trained  gun  crews 
leaped  to  their  pieces  and  freshly  primed  them ;  and  while  some 
of  the  crew  held  their  hands  over  the  priming  to  protect  it  from 
the  dampness  others  grasped  the  linstocks,  opened  the  dark  lan- 
terns, and  lit  the  slow  matches,  all  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell 


40  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

it.  The  silent  infantry  lined  the  parapets  and  peered  into  the 
darkness  eager  for  the  fight  to  commence  and  the  period  of  sus- 
pense to  be  over.     Gaines  says  in  his  official  report : 

"  The  night  was  dark  and  the  early  part  of  it  raining  but  the 
faithfulse7itinels\Q^t  not.  One  third  of  the  troops  were  up  at  their 
posts.  At  half  past  two  o'clock  the  right  column  of  the  enemy 
approached  and  though  enveloped  in  darkness  black  as  his  destg?is 
and  principles  was  distinctly  heard  on  our  left  and  promptly 
marked  by  our  musketry  under  Major  Wood  and  artillery  under 
Captain  Towson." 

As  soon  as  the  approaching  British  were  faintly  discerned 
through  the  darkness,  Towson's  battery  and  the  Twenty-first  and 
Twenty-third  infantry  opened  with  a  tremendous  crash,  lighting 
up  the  night  with  the  glare  of  the  fire.  Towson's  battery,  for  its 
work  that  night,  received  the  nickname  of  "Towson's  lighthouse." 
The  enemy  bravely  stood  the  fire  and  advanced  to  within  a  few 
feet  of  our  lines  before  recoiling.  A  portion  of  his  forces,  by 
wading  breast-deep  in  the  river,  succeeded  in  passing  around  the 
abattis  and  were  about  to  attack  our  position  from  the  rear,  when 
two  companies  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment,  posted  to  meet  such 
an  emergency,  rushed  up  and  opened  so  deadly  a  fire  that  very 
few  of  the  enemy  escaped.  Many  were  carried,  dead  or  wounded 
down  the  river  by  the  swift  current.  Again  and  again  the  enemy 
gallantly  assaulted,  and  as  often  were  they  repulsed  with  great 
loss  by  the  battery  and  musketry  fire.  Five  distinct  assaults  were 
made.  Disheartened  and  worn  out,  the  shattered  column  finalJy 
withdrew,  leaving  their  dead  upon  the  field  and  one  hundred  and 
forty-seven  prisoners  in  our  hands.  No  further  attempt  was  made 
to  assault  our  left,  and  the  attack  of  the  largest  column  of  the 
enemy  and  the  one  upon  which  General  Drummond  relied  to 
accomplish  the  most  important  results  had  utterly  failed,  notwith- 
standing the  bravery  it  displayed. 

When  Lieutenant  Colonel  Drummond  and  Colonel  Scott 
heard  the  attack  of  Fischer  in  progress  they  put  their  columns 


The  Attack  on  the  Fort  41 

in  motion,  and,  pursuant  to  the  instructions,  Drummond  directed 
his  forces  against  the  fort,  while  Scott,  proceeding  south  along 
the  river,  attacked  Douglass's  battery  and  the  earthwork  on  that 
side.  Colonel  Scott,  with  the  One-hundred-and-third  Regiment, 
advanced  bravely  to  the  attack.  He  was  met  by  the  fire  of  the 
Ninth  Regiment  and  two  companies  of  volunteers  (Broughton's 
and  Harding's),  besides  the  volleys  of  canister  from  Douglass's 
battery  and  a  six-pounder  posted  between  the  battery  and  the 
river  and  commanded  by  Major  McRea  of  the  engineers.  Even 
the  One-hundred-and-third,  veterans  of  many  a  hard-fought 
field,  could  not  make  headway  against  such  a  fire,  and  when 
about  fifty  yards  away  the  column  was  seen  by  the  anxious 
watchers  in  the  fort  to  first  hesitate,  then  waver,  and  then  retreat 
in  confusion,  leaving  many  dead  and  wounded.  So  intense  was 
the  fire  that  one  of  the  garrison  compared  the  roar  of  the  artillery 
and  the  musketry  fire  to  the  close  double  drag  of  a  drum  on  a 
grand  scale.  About  the  time  Scott's  column  fell  back,  loud  cries 
to  cease  firing  were  heard,  coming  apparently  from  the  fort. 
Douglass,  supposing  the  order  came  from  our  officers,  ceased 
working  his^guns,  but  seeing  Scott's  column  again  preparing  to 
rush  to  the  assault,  and  suspecting  a  ruse  de  guerre,  immediately 
reopened  fire  and  again  repulsed  the  assault.*  Brackenridge  is 
responsible  for  the  statement  that  the  One-hundred-and-third 
Regiment  left  one  third  of  its  number  upon  the  field,  including  its 
brave  colonel,  who,  while  leading  the  charge,  was  shot  through 
the  head.t  No  further  attack  was  made  at  this  point,  although 
most  of  the  attacking  force  afterwards  mingled  with  Drummond's 
column  and  assisted  it  in  the  assault  on  the  bastion. 

Two  of  the  three  columns  had  utterly  failed  to  effect  a 
lodgment  in  the  works.  The  third  was  more  successful.  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Drummond,  the  commander  chosen  to  lead  the' 
troops  against  the  fort,  was  a  professional  soldier  of  great  bravery 


*  Douglass  says  he  heard  a  voice  cry  in  a  foreign  accent,  "  Cease  firing ;  you're  firing 
upon  your  own  men."  and  immediately  after  a  stentorian  Yankee  voice  angrily  yelled  from 
the  fort,  "Go  to  hell!  Fire  away  there!  why  don't  you?"  He  claims  his  fire  had  not 
ceased,  but  that  that  of  the  infantry,  or,  at  least,  a  part  of  it,  had. 

t  The  British  accounts  say  that  Scott  was  killed  within  the  fort. 


42  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

and  possessed  of  that  stubbornness  so  characteristic  of  the 
British  soldier — a  quality  which  renders  him  incapable  of  appre- 
ciating when  he  is  beaten.  A  Spanish  report  of  an  engagement 
during  the  late  war  describes  the  Americans  as  still  pressing 
forward,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  were  already  defeated 
by  the  well-directed  fire  of  the  Spaniards.  Colonel  Drummond 
was  a  fighter  of  this  description.  While  Fischer  and  Scott  were 
engaging  the  left  and  the  right,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Drummond. 
with  the  force  described  in  the  order  (  consisting  of  about  seven 
hundred  men),  assaulted  the  center  w^ith  an  almost  irresistible 
impetuosity.  He  was,  however,  beaten  back  by  the  men  of  the 
Nineteenth  Regiment  and  by  the  artillery  fire.  Again  and  again, 
rallying  his  men,  he  returned  to  the  attack,  only  to  be  repulsed. 
Finally,  owing  to  the  dense  cloud  of  smoke  from  the  guns  and  to 
the  darkness  of  the  night  (for  the  day  was  onlyjust  about  to  dawn), 
with  some  men  belonging  to  the  Royal  Artillery,  he  crept  along 
the  ditch  of  the  fort,  and,  planting  scaling  ladders,  with  which  his 
column  was  provided,  climbed  into  the  northern  bastion,  closely 
followed  by  many  of  the  attacking  party,  before  the  Americans 
realized  what  had  happened.  Bayoneting  the  defenders  of  the 
bastion,  they  seized  the  guns  and  turned  them  against  the  fort. 

Among  the  artillerists  defending  the  bastion  was  Lieutenant 
McDonough,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  left  in  charge  of 
the  fort  during  Brown's  campaign  down  the  Niagara.  As  he  was 
severely  wounded  by  a  bayonet  thrust  he  asked  for  quarter. 
Gaines,  in  his  ofncial  report,  thus  describes  the  scene: 

"  Lieut.  McDonough,  being  severely  wounded,  demanded 
quarter;  it  was  refused  by  Col.  Drummond.  The  Lieutenant 
then  seized  a  handspike  and  nobly  defended  himself  until  he  was 
shot  down  with  a  pistol  by  the  monster  who  had  refused  him 
quarter,  who  often  reiterated  the  order '  Give  the  damned  Yankees 
no  quarter.'"  ,  :        ^^    , 

Colonel  Drummond  was  shot  through  the  heart  and  bayon- 
eted a  few  moments  afterwards.     He  immediately  expired.     His 


The  Attack  on  the  Fort  43 

body  was  blown  up  when  the  explosion  of  the  bastion  occurred, 
but  when  his  remains  were  afterwards  searched,  a  copy  of  General 
Drummond's  order,  directing  the  assault,  was  found,  and  it  was 
observed  that  the  bayonet,  in  entering  his  body,  had  passed 
through  that  portion  of  the  order  wherein  General  Drummond 
"  recommends  a  free  use  of  the  bayonet." 

Near  the  bastion  stood  a  stone  blockhouse,  which  was 
manned  by  the  Americans,  and  an  attempt  made  to  drive  the 
British  from  the  bastion;  but  they  evinced  no  disposition  to  retire 
from  their  hard-won  position,  and  the  fight  waged  furiously. 

About  two  hours  and  a  half  had  elapsed  since  the  attack 
first  developed,  and  it  was  now  daylight.  This  enabled  our 
batteries,  especially  Fanning's,*  to  keep  reinforcements  from 
reaching  the  British,  as  the  guns  now  swept  the  unobstructed 
clearing  in  front  of  the  fort,  while  all  the  other  pieces  were 
trained  upon  the  captured  bastion.  Gaines  called  upon  Ripley 
and  Porter  for  reinforcements,  who  promptly  sent  them,  and  a 
determined  assault  was  made  upon  the  bastion.  Owing,  how- 
ever, to  the  narrowness  of  the  passage  leading  up  to  it  ( only 
two  or  three  men  being  able  to  charge  abreast),  our  forces  were 
repulsed;  but  the  Americans,  nothing  daunted,  charged  again 
and  again  with  no  success  beyond  wearing  down  the  enemy. 

While  the  officers  were  forming  our  men  for  another  assault 
an  event  happened  which  had  a  decisive  bearing  upon  the  assault 
and  which  was  as  unexpected  as  it  was  fortunate  for  our  arms. 
Underneath  the  platform  of  the  captured  bastion  was  stored  a 
large  quantity  of  cartridges  and  ammunition  of  various  sorts. 
Suddenly,  and  from  some  cause  never  ascertained,  a  tremendous 
explosion,  heard  for  miles  around,  occurred,  which  blew  the  bas- 
tion, with  the  men  and  guns  upon  it,  high  into  the  air.  The  bastion 
was  crowded  principally  with  men  from  the  One-hundred-and- 
third  Regiment  ( Scott's ),  and  the  explosion  was  of  so  much  force 
that  this  regiment  was  literally  blown  to  pieces.  The  cries  of  the 
wounded,  the  loud  report,  the  enormous  clouds  of  dust,  the  dis- 

*  Fanning  outranked  Fontaine,  and  so  now  was  in  command  of  the  battery  named  after 
the  latter. 


44  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

tance  objects  were  thrown,  and  the  suddenness  with  which  so 
many  brave  men  were  blown  to  eternity  or  terribly  mangled  made 
a  profound  impression  upon  the  spectators.  Its  cause  was  long 
a  matter  of  speculation  and  wonderment,  not  only  along  the  fron- 
tier, but  throughout  the  country  as  well.  Lieutenant  Douglass 
graphically  describes  the  explosion  in  the  following  language: 

"  Every  sound  was  hushed  by  the  sense  of  an  unnatural 
tremor  beneath  our  feet  like  the  first  heave  of  an  earthquake. 
Almost  at  the  same  instant  the  center  of  the  bastion  blew  up  with 
a  terrific  explosion  and  a  jet  of  flame  mingled  with  fragments  of 
timber,  earth,  stone,  and  bodies  of  men  rose  to  the  height  of  one 
or  two  hundred  feet  in  the  air  md  fell  in  a  shower  of  ruins  to  a 
great  distance  all  around." 

Panic  seized  the  uninjured,  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  sur- 
viving remnant  of  the  British  force  retired  to  their  intrenchments 
under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  fort,  protected  by  a  battalion  of  the 
King's  Royals,  which  was  pushed  forward  by  General  Drummond 
to  cover  the  retreat. 

The  battle  was  over,  and  the  daylight  revealed  the  dismantled 
bastion  still  smoking  from  the  effects  of  the  explosion.  In  front 
of  our  position,  and  especially  the  bastion,  the  ground  was  piled 
with  the  dead  and  wounded,  many  terribly  mangled  and  muti- 
lated by  the  explosion.  The  garrison  immediately  set  to  work 
to  care  for  the  wounded  and  to  bury  the  dead.* 

During  the  attack  the  people  of  Black  Rock  and  Buffalo  had 
listened  to  the  sounds  of  the  combat,  which  drifted  across  the 
river,  and  had  watched  the  discharge  of  tne  pieces,  fearing  lest  our 
army  would  be  overpowered  and  that  there  would  be  a  repetition 
of  the  horrible  events  of  the  preceding  New  Year's  Day.  When 
the  bastion  blew  up  they  were  filled  with  dismay,  for  it  was 
thought  it  meant  either  an  abandonment  of  the  fort  or  its  capture 
by  the  British.     But  at  last,  with  daylight,  came  a  rowboat  from 


*  Long  trenches  were  dug  near  the  fort,  and  forty  or  fifty  men  were  buried  in  each  trench 
The  prisoners  and  wounded  were  taken  across  the  river  to  Buffalo. 


The  Attack  on  the  Fort 


45 


the  fort,  which  conveyed  the  news  of  the  victory  to  the  anxious 
watchers.  It  was  received  with  great  rejoicing,  and  spread 
throughout  the  country  with  rapidity,  for  it  was  the  most  decisive 
victory  of  the  war  up  to  that  time. 


Dept.  Miittia  &  Defence 

I«IBRART. 


46  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Period  between  the  Assault  and  the  Sortie. 

Another  of  our  annoyances  was  from  the  bombshells.  These  could  be  avoideil  without 
much  difficulty  if  one  had  time  to  attend  to  them,  *  *  ♦  but  this  could  not  always  be 
done. — Douglass. 

When  the  smoke  of  battle  had  cleared  away  and  each  side 
had  taken  a  check  roll  call,  it  was  found  that  for  a  "  diminished 
and  dispirited  force,"  the  Americans  had  done  exceedingly  well. 
The  Americans  lost  two  captains,  one  lieutenant,  six  subalterns, 
two  sergeants,  one  corporal,  and  seventy-two  privates  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing.  Seventeen  were  killed.  The  total  loss  of 
the  British  was  nine  hundred  and  five,  according  to  their  official 
report,  but,  judging  from  the  men  left  upon  the  field  and  from  un- 
official accounts,  it  was  probably  over  one  thousand,  of  whom 
about  forty  were  officers.  Drummond's  official  return  apparently 
does  not  include  the  loss  in  De  Watteville's  regiment,  which  must 
have  been  quite  severe.  Drummond  frankly  states  in  his  report 
that  many  of  the  missing  were  probably  killed  in  the  explosion 
of  the  bastion. 

The  blowing  up  of  the  bastion  has  been  attributed  to  many 
different  causes.     The  following  are  among  those  assigned: 

I.  Drummond  states  that  ammunition  under  the  platform 
of  the  bastion  caught  fire  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  guns  in  the 
bastion  were  fired  to  the  rear. 

II.  Lieutenant  MacMahon,  in  a  private  letter  to  a  friend, 
written  on  the  twenty-second  of  August,  says : 

"  It  [the  ammunition]  was  not,  however,  intentionally  placed 
there  for  the  purpose,  but,  seeing  the  opportunity,  and  availing 
himself  of  it,  a  corporal  of  American  artillery,  having  got  on  a 
red  coat  and  the  cap  of  a  British  deserter,  and  while  it  was  scarce 
daylight,  got  in  amongst  our  men,  who  were  principally  in  and 
near  this  bastion,  and  appeared  to  make  himself  very  busy  in 


The  Period  between  the  Assault  and  the  Sortie      47 

working  the  gun  which  by  this  time  had  been  turned  against  the 
enemy,  and  in  the  bustle  he  got  under  the  platform  and  effected 
his  purpose  by  a  slow  match.  He  had  but  just  time  himself  to 
slink  off  and  get  behind  a  stone  building  in  the  fort  when  this 
unfortunate  explosion  took  place,  which  has  left  the  One  hundred- 
and-third  Regiment,  who  were  principally  at  that  point,  but  a 
mere  skeleton." 

III.  Lossing,  in  his  Field  Book  of  the  War  of  18 12,  relates 
the  following,  which  shows  the  power  of  imagination  of  the  pri- 
vate soldier,  the  most  unreliable  chronicler  in  the  world: 

"  The  venerable  Jabez  Fisk,  now  (1867)  living  near  Adrian, 
Michigan,  who  was  in  the  fight,  is  not  so  reticent  concerning  the 
explosion.  In  a  letter  to  me  dated  May  20,  1863,  he  writes: 
*  Three  or  four  hundred  of  the  enemy  had  got  into  the  bastion. 
At  this  time  an  American  officer  came  running  up  and  said, 
'  General  Gaines,  the  bastion  is  full.  I  can  blow  them  all  to  hell 
in  a  minute.'  They  both  passed  back  through  a  stone  building 
and  in  a  short  time  the  bastion  and  the  British  were  high  in  the 
air.  General  Gaines  soon  returned,  swinging  his  hat  and  shout- 
ing, '  Hurrah  for  Little  York!'  This  was  in  allusion  to  the 
blowing  up  of  the  British  magazine  at  Little  York,  where  General 
Pike  was  killed." 

IV.  A  more  romantic  version,  which  gained  considerable 
credence  at  the  time,  was  that  the  dying  McDonough,  determining 
to  sell  his  life  as  dearly  as  possible,  threw  a  light  into  an  ammu- 
nition chest  and  so  caused  the  explosion, 

V.  In  the  haste  with  which  the  guns  were  served,  a  cart- 
ridge was  accidentally  broken,  and  the  powder,  scattering  on  the 
pliitform,  formed  a  train  from  it  to  the  magazine,  which,  being 
ignited,  caused  the  explosion. 

VI.  The  explosion  was  caused  by  an  American  shell. 

So  many  causes  are  here  assigned  that  the  reader  will 
doubtless  find  no  difficulty  in  making  a  satisfactory  choice,  for 
each  has  this  merit — it  cannot  be  successfully  controverted. 


48  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

The  British  had  made  a  most  gallant  assault,  and  done  all 
that  could  be  expected  of  flesh  and  blood.  Not  only  failing  to 
carry  the  fort,  but  suffering  a  most  severe  loss,  the  soldiers  gave 
way  to  great  depression.  Upon  retiring,  they  lined  their  intrench- 
ments,  prepared  to  resist  a  counter  attack,  but  none  came,  and 
the  caring  for  the  dead  and  wounded  occupied  the  balance  of  the 
day.  A  force  of  less  than  four  thousand  men  had  lost  about  one 
thousand  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing  — more  than  one  fourth, 
—  and  in  Colonels  Drummond  and  Scott's  columns  the  loss  was 
even  heavier.  For  instance,  Scott's  regiment,  the  One-hundred- 
and-third,  lost  three  hundred  and  seventy  men,  and  out  of  eighteen 
officers  fourteen  were  killed  or  wounded.  In  fact,  some  of  the 
organizations  were  practically  destroyed.  Doctor  Young,  an 
English  surgeon,  in  a  private  letter  to  Colonel  Scott's  brother, 
informing  him  of  the  colonel's  death,  writes  that  Scott  was  buried 
on  the  evening  of  the  fifteenth,  and  that  the  funeral  was  attended 
by  only  three  officers  and  himself,  *'the  whole  that  remained 
untouched  after  the  attacks 

The  following  pathetic  extract  seems  worthy  of  quoting  to 
show  how  dispirited  even  the  officers  were  after  the  assault  had 
failed.  It  is  from  a  letter  written  by  Colonel  J.  Le  Couteur  to 
his  brother,  and  is  dated  July  twenty-ninth,  18 — . 

"  After  we  were  blown  up,  some  three  or  four  hundred  men 
by  the  springing  of  the  mine  or  magazine  in  Fort  Erie,  on  recov- 
ering my  senses  from  being  blown  off  the  parapet  some  twenty 
feet  into  the  ditch  which  was  filled  with  burned  and  maimed  men 
the  Yankees  relined  their  works  and  fired  heavily  into  the  ditch. 
My  colonel,  Drummond  of  Keltie,  had  commanded  the  right 
attack.  Col.  Scott  the  left  attack.  Finding  that  the  ditch  was 
not  to  be  held  under  such  disarray  and  such  a  fire,  several  of  us 
jumped  over  the  scarp  and  ran  over  the  plain  to  our  lines.  Lieut. 
Fallon  of  the  103d,  who  was  desperately  wounded,  was  caught  by 
his  sling  belt  in  a  log  and  thought  to  die  there;  however,  I 
said  to  my  grenadier  friend:  'Jack,  my  boy,  put  your  arm  over 


The  Period  between  the  Assault  atid  the  Sort'j      49 

my  neck  and  I  will  take  you  round  the  waist  and  run  you  into 
the  lines.'  The  Yankees  were  then  pelting  us  with  grape  and 
musketry.  As  we  jogged  on  I  saw  an  officer  carried  on  his  back 
in  some  sort  of  a  stretcher  and  I  said  to  the  four  men,  'Who  is 
that  officer?'  'Col.  Scott,  sir,  shot  through  the  head,'  where  I 
saw  the  bullet  mark  in  the  noble  man's  forehead.  When  I  got 
my  friend  into  the  lines,  regardless  of  who  was  by,  in  a  fit  of  sor- 
row I  threw  my  sabre  down  exclaiming,  'This  is  a  disgraceful 
day  for  Old  England ! '  Col.  M — ,  who  heard  me,  said, '  For  shame, 
Mr.  Le  Couteur!  The  men  are  sufficiently  discouraged  by 
defeat.'  Col.  Pearson  said, 'Don't  blame  him.  It  is  the  high 
feeling  of  a  young  soldier.'  To  my  surprise  the  Commander-in- 
chief,  Sir  Gordon  Drummond,  had  heard  all  this  as  he  was  close 
behind  and  he  asked  me,  'Where  is  Col.  Scott?  '  'Oh!  Sir!  He 
is  killed,  just  being  brought  in  by  his  men.'  'Where  is  Col. 
Drummond?'  'Alas!  Sir!  He  is  killed  too.  Bayonetted.'  And 
I  burst  into  tears  at  the  loss  of  my  beloved  commander  and  three 
parts  of  my  men.  *  *  *  Poor  Drummond's  body  remained 
in  the  American  lines,  blown  up.  Col.  Scott  received  a  soldier's 
funeral — a  most  amiable  and  gallant  soldier;  indeed,  there  were 
no  two  more  heroic  men  in  our  army." 

General  Drummond,  who  had  decided  ability  for  evading 
responsibility,  attributed  the  defeat  to  the  cowardice  of  the  troops 
in  Fischer's  column,  at  the  same  time,  as  was  his  custom,  praising 
the  conduct  of  the  officers.  But  the  great  loss  the  troops  sus- 
tained of  itself  showed  their  bravery,  and  Sir  George  Prevost 
gently  reproves  Drummond  for  depriving  the  soldiers  of  their 
flints  and  for  ordering  a  night  attack.  The  preparedness  of  our 
forces  and  the  precautions  taken  by  Gaines  account  for  the  deci- 
sive defeat  we  administered.  Our  comparatively  small  loss  was 
due  to  the  fact  that  our  fire  could  not  be  returned  to  any  great 
extent,  as  the  enemy's  muskets  were  disabled,  and  to  the  fact  that 
we  were  behind  fortifications,  although  the  British  speak  of  the 
bravery  of  our  troops.     We  lost  two  brave  and  capable  officers, 


50  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

Captain  Williams  and  Lieutenant  McDonough.  Six  subalterns 
were  severely  wounded.  Fontaine  was  blown  up  in  the  explosion 
and  captured  by  the  Indians,  who  promptly  relieved  him  of  his 
money  and  valuables  but  otherwise  treated  him  kindly,  which 
prompted  the  grim  remark  of  Brown,  that  "It  would  seem,  then, 
that  these  savages  had  not  joined  in  the  resolution  to  give  no 
quarter." 

After  the  assault  the  garrison  settled  down  to  the  wearisome 
life  of  the  besieged,  only  enlivened  by  a  skirmish  between  pickets 
or  an  occasional  shell  fiom  the  enemy.  Fatigue  parties  were 
constantly  at  work  repairing  the  damage  done  to  the  bastion 
and  works  during  the  assault  and  by  the  shells  of  the  enemy.* 
These  fatigue  parties  suffered  severely  in  the  prosecution  of  the 
work.  Lieutenant  Douglass  is  authority  for  the  statement  that 
the  daily  losses  averaged  one  to  every  sixteen  men  at  work,  for 
the  enemy's  artillery  fired  nearly  two  hundred  shots  each  day, 
mostly  round  shot.  The  fire  from  Battery  Number  Two  was 
directed  against  the  works,  while  that  of  Number  One  was  used 
to  annoy  and  injure  the  garrison.  Indeed,  it  is  stated  by  one  of 
the  survivor?  that  the  thirty  days  following  the  assault  was  the 
most  trying  period  of  the  siege.  Men  were  continually  falling; 
fatigue  work  around  the  garrison  was  incessant,  and,  as  we  have 
seen,  extremely  dangerous.  One  third  of  the  force  was  continually 
on  duty.  The  others,  at  night,  slept  upon  their  muskets,  with 
bayonets  fixed,  prepared  to  resist  the  assault  which  might  come 
at  any  time.     Douglass  says: 

"On  the  2nd  of  August  my  own  little  battery  though  not 
quite  finished  was  platformed  and  the  guns  mounted.  I  made 
my  bed  on  the  platform  that  night;  and  for  many  weeks  after- 
wards took  no  rest  except  on  the  trailed  handspikes  of  one  of  the 
guns  with  an  old  tent  spread  upon  them  and  wrapped  in  a  horse- 
man's coat." 


*  A  large  number  of  pikes  were  picked  up  or  taken  from  the  British  during  the  assault 
on  the  fifteenth,  and  rejected  bayonets  were  fastened  to  poles.  These,  being  as  long  as  the 
parapet  was  thick,  were  laid  every  evening  at  intervals  along  the  parapet  for  use  in  the  event 
of  an  escalade,  and  it  was  thought  they  would  be  of  great  assistance  in  repelling  an  attack, 


The  Period  between  the  Assault  and  the  Sortie       5 1 

As  matters  stood  in  this  wise,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  nerves 
of  the  strongest  men  became  unstrung  and  that  some  seventy 
of  the  weaker  sort  deserted  from  the  American  forces. 

An  Irishman,  a  subaltern  in  the  Eleventh  Infantry,  upon  re- 
turning to  his  tent  from  fatigue  work  discovered  that  a  round 
shot  had  taken  the  tail  completely  off  from  his  uniform  coat. 
Taking  it  by  the  collar  he  proudly  showed  it  to  his  brother  offi- 
cers, saying  he  had  had  a  narrow  escape,  as  he  had  thought  of 
putting  on  that  very  coat  that  morning. 

Many  acts  of  gallantry  occurred  during  this  period.  Colonel 
Brooke  (then  a  major),  while  officer  of  the  day,  with  two  men, 
stole  out  of  the  fort  with  a  lantern  concealed  in  a  watch  coat,  and, 
proceeding  through  the  enemy's  line  of  sentinels,  affixed  the  lan- 
tern in  a  tree  directly  in  line  between  the  fort  and  Battery  Num 
ber  Three,  then  in  process  of  construction.  A  cord  was  attached 
to  the  coat,  by  mean-  of  which  the  coat  was  pulled  off  the  lantern 
when  the  colonel  and  his  men  reached  the  end  of  the  cord.  The 
Boston  Patriot,  referring  to  this  exploit,  says: 

"The  American  batteries,  directed  by  the  light  of  the  lantern 
in  the  tree,  opened  their  fire  upon  the  unsuspecting  workmen, 
who  could  not  divine  what  secret  spirit  had  betrayed  the  position 
of  their  laborers  until  they  observed  the  light  swinging  in  the  air 
nor  then  could  form  any  conjecture  by  what  daring  hand  it  had 
been  there  suspended," 

The  British,  by  reason  of  the  severe  losses  which  they  had 
sustained,  awaited  reinforcements  from  York  (now  Toronto), 
and  occupied  their  forces  meantime  in  planting  guns  in  Battery 
Number  Three,  situated  only  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
from  our  works.  From  this  new  battery  great  things  were  ex- 
pected. 

Minor  fights  took  place  almost  daily  between  the  lines.  On  the 
twentieth  of  August  one  of  these  skirmishes  apparently  occurred, 
for  General  Drummond,  in  a  matter-of-fact  way,  writes  to  the 
governor  of  Canada,  August  twenty-first,  that  ''From  the  number 


52  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

of  scalps  that  ivere  taken  by  the  hidians  and  the  number  of  dead 
and  wounded  which  were  seen  carried  into  the  Fort,  the  enemy 
must  have  lost  40  or  50  men  in  this  affair." 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  August,  while  Gaines  was  lying  down 
in  his  quarters,  a  shell  crashed  into  the  room  through  the  roof, 
and,  exploding,  injured  him  so  severely  that  he  was  obliged  to 
turn  the  command  over  to  Ripley.  When  Brown  heard  of 
Gaines's  injury,  although  not  fully  recovered  from  the  wound 
received  at  Lundy's  Lane,  he  hastened  to  Fort  Erie,  and,  after  a 
few  days,  assumed  command,  which  he  retained  as  long  as  the 
siege  lasted. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  August  and  the  fifth  of  September 
there  were  quite  severe  skirmishes,  in  which  the  Americans  drove 
the  English  into  their  works  and  in  which  each  side  displayed 
great  gallantry.  In  fact,  Ripley  issued  a  general  order  on  the 
affair  of  the  fifth,  congratulating  the  participants  upon  their  gal- 
lantry. 

On  the  seventh  of  September  the  enemy  detached  a  force, 
and,  moving  out  at  daylight,  surprised  our  Picket  Number  Four, 
killing  fourteen  men  and  capturing  seven,  the  entire  advance 
party,  forcing  the  balance  of  the  picket  to  retire  into  the  fort  with 
considerable  loss. 

The  enemy  during  this  period  was  reinforced  by  the  Sixth 
and  the  Eighty-second  regular  regiments,  consisting  of  one  thou- 
sand and  forty  men,  which  just  about  compensated  for  the  losses 
during  the  assault.  On  the  fourth  of  September  the  new  battery 
was  completed.  It  mounted  three  twenty-four-pounders,  an  eight- 
inch  howitzer,  and  a  mortar, —  a  formidable  armament  for  that 
period,  when  the  effective  range  of  a  fieldpiece  about  equaled  the 
point-blank  range  of  the  modern  rifle. 

The  official  despatches  at  this  period  of  the  siege  reveal  the 
fact  that  both  sides  were  becoming  extremely  apprehensive  over 
their  respective  situations.  The  Americans  had  burned  the  mills 
and  destroyed  the  stores  in  all  this  part  of  Canada.  Winter 
was  coming  on,  and  not  only  were  the  English  far  from  their 


The  Period  between  the  Assault  a7ici  the  Sortie      53 

base  of  supplies  but  there  seemed  to  be  small  prospect  of  a  further 
supply  reaching  them  at  all.  Then,  too,  ammunition  was  run- 
ning so  low  it  had  to  be  husbanded,  and  Drummond's  army 
was  threatened  with  an  epidemic  of  typhus  and  typhoid  fevers. 
Our  forces  were  so  greatly  weakened  by  long  and  severe  fighting 
that  on  September  tenth  we  could  muster  only  about  two  thou- 
sand men  for  field  duty,  although  more  were  able  to  do  duty  within 
the  fort.  In  addition,  the  garrison  was  subsisted  on  salt  meat 
and  stale  bread,  as  fresh  meat  and  vegetables  were  so  high  in 
price  and  hard  to  get  that  they  were  beyond  reach  of  the  majority 
of  the  men. 

In  response  to  the  urgent  appeals  of  Gaines  and  Brown,  vol- 
unteers were  called  for,  and  the  militia  of  western  New  York  was 
ordered  out  by  Governor  Tompkins.  These  men  were  directed 
to  assemble  at  Buffalo,  which  they  did  in  considerable  numbers 
from  all  the  western  part  of  the  state.  Porter  called  a  meeting 
of  the  officers,  and  after  a  sharp  talk  ascertained  that  nearly  all 
would  volunteer  to  cross  the  river,  although  at  first  few  would 
go.  The  men  were  then  addressed  by  Porter  in  an  eloquent 
speech,  and  nearly  one  thousand  five  hundred  were  persuaded  to 
volunteer — about  half  the  number  assembled. 

Dorsheimer,  in  an  interesting  paper  entitled  Buffalo  during 
the  War  of  18 12,  contained  in  the  first  volume  of  the  publications 
of  the  Buffalo  Historical  Society,  relates  the  following: 

Porter  formed  his  column  at  what  is  now  the  corner  of 
Niagara  and  Pearl  streets.  When  the  command  to  move  off  was 
given,  and  it  was  apparent  the  line  of  march  was  towards  Black 
Rock,  a  lawyer — probably  not  from  Buffalo, —  "  who,"  says  Dors- 
heimer, "in  such  times  are  scrupulous  as  to  the  law  in  propor- 
tion to  the  value  they  set  upon  their  lives,  stepped  out  of  the 
ranks  and  shouted  out,  'We  are  militia  of  New  York  and  cannot 
be  ordered  out  of  the  state.  It  is  unconstitutional.'  It  was 
wonderful  how  suddenly  a  love  for  the  constitution  developed 
itself  in  the  breasts  of  the  militiamen.  Large  numbers  left  the 
ranks  and  began  to  clamor  against  the  order.     But  Porter  and  a 


54  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

few  determined  officers  spurred  among  the  malcontents,  arrested 
the  ringleader,  awed  his  followers,  and,  aided  by  a  small  detach- 
ment of  regulars,  restored  order."  The  refractory  jurist  was 
hustled  into  a  wagon  and  sent  under  arrest  to  Williamsville  with 
the  information  that  if  he  ever  returned  to  Buffalo  he  would  be 
shot  without  benefit  of  clergy. 

The  force  then  moved  off  without  further  trouble,  crossed 
the  river,  and  camped  on  the  lake  shore  to  the  left  of  Towson's 
battery,  throwing  up  a  sod  breastwork  for  protection.  This 
occurred  on  September  tenth.  Their  arrival  was  not  hailed  with 
great  enthusiasm  by  the  regular  army  contingent  of  the  garri- 
son, whose  confidence  in  militia  seems  to  have  been  somewhat 
shaken.  But  these  same  troops,  ununiformed,  and  poorly  drilled 
and  equipped,  soon  showed  that  if  they  could  not  drill  they  could 
fight;  and  by  their  gallant  conduct  they  did  more  than  their  share 
toward  redeeming  the  reputation  of  the  American  militiaman 
during  this  war. 

The  monthly  return  of  our  forces  on  August  thirty-first,  1 8 14, 
was  as  follows : 


Present  for  Duty. 

Aggregate 

N.C. 

O.and  Privates. 

Officers. 

Present  and  Absent 

Dragoons, 

27 

I 

48 

Bombardiers,  etc., 

34 

51 

Artillery  Corps, 

206 

ID 

369 

First  Brigade, 

725 

39 

2,311 

Second  Brigade, 

698 

42 

1,646 

Porter's  Brigade, 

220 

16 

599 

First  and  Fourth  Rifles, 

217 

II 

504 

Total,  2,127  119  5.528 


The  Sortie  55 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Sortie. 

A  brilliant   achiovement  —  the  only  instance  in   history  where  a  besieging  army  was 
entirely  broken  up  and  routed  by  a  single  sortie.— 5/;   IVil/iam  Napier. 

Although  the  Americans  had  received  reinforcements,  their 
position  was  still  regarded  as  critical.  Battery  Number  Three, 
mounting  the  long  tvventy-four-pounders,  had  not  as  yet  opened 
fire;  but  we  had  suffered  quite  severely  from  the  fire  of  Number 
One  and  Number  Two,  and  the  new  battery  was  much  feared  by 
Brown  because  it  would  rake  our  position.  The  spirits  of  the 
men  were  sinking  under  the  long  and  constant  strain  and  confine- 
ment, and,  to  make  matters  worse,  the  weather  was  bad,  much  rain 
falling.  Brown, therefore,  determined  to  risk  a  sortie,  damage  the 
enemy's  works  as  much  as  possible  without  too  severe  a  loss  to 
himself,  and  then  retreat  upon  the  fort. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  works  of  the  enemy  were 
occupied  by  only  one  brigade  of  the  enemy,  each  of  his  three 
brigades  alternating  in  this  duty,  while  the  balance  of  the  army 
remained  in  camp,  nearly  two  miles  away  through  the  woods. 
Brown's  plan,  briefly  stated,  was  as  follows: 

Porter,  with  a  force  of  about  one  thousand  six  hundred, 
composed  of  regulars,  militia,  and  Indians,  was  to  move  out  from 
the  left,  make  a  wide  detour,  strike  into  the  woods,  and,  following 
roads  prepared  in  advance,  come  upon  the  enemy's  right  at 
Battery  Number  Three,  and,  after  crushing  the  right  and  spiking 
the  guns  of  the  battery,  to  turn  towards  the  center  and  assist  in 
the  capture  of  batteries  Number  Two  and  Number  One.  Colonel 
Miller,  "for  whom  batteries  had  no  terrors,"  with  five  hundred 
men  from  the  Ninth,  Eleventh,  and  Nineteenth  regiments  of  reg- 
ulars, was  to  take  up  a  position  in  a  ravine  formed  by  a  water- 
course running  into  the  lake,  situate  some  three  hundred  yards 


56  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

southerly  from  the  enemy's  line,  and,  when  the  noise  of  Porter's 
attack  was  heard,  to  rush  in  between  batteries  Number  Two  and 
Number  Three,  and  attack  Battery  Number  Two  and  then  Num- 
ber One.  General  Ripley,  who,  it  is  claimed,  had  no  confidence  in 
the  success  of  the  enterprise,  and,  as  Brown  states,  wished  to  take 
no  part  in  it,  was  stationed  with  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  as  a 
reserve  out  of  sight  between  the  westerly  bastions  of  the  fort. 
Major  Jessup,  recently  wounded,  was  left  to  garrison  the  fort  with 
the  Twenty-fifth  Regiment,  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  strong. 
The  plan  of  attack  was  simple,  and,  if  success  is  any  criterion, 
extremely  effective. 

On  September  sixteenth  Lieutenants  Frazer  and  Riddle,  with 
one  hundred  men  each,  fifty  armed  with  muskets  and  fifty  with 
axes,  labored  all  day  without  being  discovered,  constructing  rough 
roads  for  Porter's  columns  up  to  within  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  of  the  British  position.  They  also  built  underbrush  roads 
back  to  the  fort  from  a  point  near  the  front  of  the  British  position 
in  order  that  the  retreat  might  be  unobstructed  and  the  miry  and 
impassable  places  avoided.  Much  rain  had  fallen  during  the  past 
twelve  days,  and  the  ground  in  front  of  our  position  was  little 
better  than  a  swamp. 

The  morning  of  the  seventeenth  dawned  cloudy  and  dis- 
agreeable, and  a  light  rain  was  falling.  During  the  forenoon  the 
volunteers  were  paraded,  and,  after  arousing  their  enthusiasm  by 
the  announcement  of  the  recent  American  victories  at  Plattsburg 
and  Lake  Champlain,  the  plan  of  the  proposed  sortie  was  revealed 
to  them.  It  was  enthusiastically  received.  Each  volunteer  was 
thereupon  directed  to  take  off  his  headgear  and  tie  a  red  hand- 
kerchief or  red  cloth  around  his  head  so  that  he  might  be  readily 
distinguished,  none  of  them  being  uniformed.  As  the  day  wore 
on  the  rain  increased,  and  a  hard  thunderstorm,  almost  a  gale, 
came  up,  which  continued  during  the  attack.  This  undoubtedly 
aided  our  forces  in  advancing  unperceived  to  the  attack  until 
right  onto  the  enemy's  works,  but  many  of  our  muskets  were 
disabled  through  water  getting  into  the  pans  of  the  guns. 


The  Sortie  57 

In  the  afternoon  Porter  moved  out  to  take  up  his  position  on 
the  enemy's  right.  He  sent  forward  as  an  advance  two  hundred 
riflemen,  with  some  Indians,  under  Colonel  Gibson.  The  balance 
of  his  force  was  divided  into  two  columns,  which  marched  parallel 
to  each  other,  following  the  brush  roads.  They  were  guided 
respectively  by  Riddle  and  Frazer.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wood 
commanded  the  right  column,  which  was  composed  of  four 
hundred  regulars  and  five  hundred  militia.  These  troops  were 
to  attack  the  enemy's  position.  Brigadier  General  Davis,  of 
Ratavia,  who,  while  senior  to  Porter,  volunteered  to  muster  his 
brigade  and  fight  under  him,  waiving  all  question  of  rank,  com- 
manded the  left  column  consisting  of  five  hundred  militia  newly 
raised.  This  column  was  intended  to  engage  the  enemy's  rein- 
forcements if  any  should  be  thrown  in. 

These  columns  reached  their  position  a  few  yards  from  the 
right  of  the  enemy's  position  without  discovery,  and  at  about 
three  in  the  afternoon  Brown  gave  Porter  the  order  to  attack. 
This  order  was  executed  with  great  vigor,  and  the  cheers  of  the 
Americans  as  they  rushed  to  the  assault  were  plainly  heard  by 
the  anxious  listeners  upon  the  American  shore,  notwithstanding 
the  storm  that  raged. 

The  British  lines  that  day  were  guarded  by  the  Second 
Brigade,  consisting  of  the  Eighth  and  De  Watteville's  regiments  of 
regulars.  The  swiftness  of  the  attack  utterly  surprised  these 
troops,  and  the  Americans  soon  captured  a  blockhouse  in  the 
rear  of  Battery  Number  Three,  and  then  the  battery  itself,  destroy- 
ing the  much  dreaded  twenty-four-pounders  and  their  carriages 
and  blowing  up  a  magazine.  Here  the  brave  Wood*  and  Brig- 
adier General  Davis  fell  mortally  wounded.  The  loss  of  both  of 
these  men  was  greatly  mourned. 

Porter  then  swung  his  forces  around  and  attacked  Battery 
Number  Two  conjointly  with  Major  Miller,  who  had  rushed  for- 
ward as  soon  as  Porter's  attack  was  heard.     After  a  sharp  struggle 

*In  the  cemetery  at  West  Point,  a  short  distance  from  the  grave  of  General  Scott,  stands 
a  cenotaph  erected  by  General  Brown  to  the  memory  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wood.  It  was 
dedicated  in  1818,  and  the  inscription  states  that  he  fell  while  leading  a  charge  at  the  sortie  of 
Fort  Erie,  September  seventeenth,  1814,  in  the  thirty-first  yearof  his  age. 


58  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

this  battery  was  captured.  Battery  Number  One  was,  so  Brown 
says,  abandoned  by  the  enemy.  At  all  events,  it  was  captured; 
but  by  reason  of  the  confusion,  and  the  stout  defense  the  British 
soon  made,  the  Americans  neglected  or  were  unable  to  perma- 
nently injure  batteries  Number  One  and  Number  Two,  although 
they  were  temporarily  disabled. 

Owing  to  the  suddenness  and  impetuosity  of  the  American 
attack,  the  Second  Brigade  of  the  enemy  was  crumpled  up  and 
driven  away  before  any  arrangements  could  be  made  to  meet  the 
attack.  It  is  a  maxim  of  war  that  "when  a  force  is  not  deployed 
but  is  struck  suddenly  and  violently  on  its  flank,  resistance  is 
impracticable."  Chancellor.sville,  where  the  Eleventh  Corps  of 
the  Union  army  melted  away  before  Jackson's  fierce  onslaught, 
was  an  illustration  of  the  truth  of  this  maxim.  This  attack  was 
another;  and  our  troops  soon  swept  the  front  line  of  intrench- 
ments  almost  clear  of  the  enemy. 

So  far  the  Americans  had  accomplished  much  with  little 
loss,  but  the  end  was  not  yet.  As  soon  as  the  American  attack 
was  heard,  De  Wattcville  promptly  sent  back  to  the  British  camp 
for  reinforcements,  and  the  First  and  Third  brigades  hastened  to 
the  succor  of  the  Second  Brigade.  In  the  meantime  the  Second 
Brigade  was  rapidly  recovering  from  the  demoralization  from 
which  it  had  at  first  suffered. 

The  British  lines  were  defended  by  felled  trees,  entangle- 
ments, and  abattis,  and  whilst  the  Americans  were  struggling  to 
penetrate  these  defenses  they  were  met  with  a  hot  fire  from  the 
enemy  posted  in  the  traverses  and  along  the  parallel  lines  of 
intrenchments.  Then  too,  at  this  stage  of  the  attack  the  enemy's 
reinforcements  arrived  and  commenced  a  determined  resistance 
to  the  further  advance  of  the  Americans.  The  fight  now  raged 
furiously.  Hand-to-hand  encounters  occurred  all  along  the  line, 
and  sometimes  with  the  bayonet  and  sometimes  with  rifle  fire  the 
enemy  sought  to  regain  possession  of  the  Hnes  and  drive  off  the 
Americans,  now  somewhat  confused  by  the  constant  fire  concen- 
trated upon  them  from  all  points  and  through  penetrating  the 


TJic  Sortie  59 

abattis  and  entanglements.  Although  outnumbered,  the  Amer- 
icans stubbornly  resisted,  and,  regardless  of  the  hot  fire,  gave 
back  blow  for  blow. 

Brown,  fearing  for  Miller's  safety,  ordered  Ripley  forward  to 
his  assistance,  who  prompty  advanced  with  the  Twenty-first  In- 
fantry. Ripley  soon  received  a  serious  wciund  in  the  neck,  and 
was  borne  to  the  rear.* 

Miller,  with  excellent  judgment,  appreciating  that  nothing 
further  could  be  accomplished,  and  in  view  of  the  superior  force 
of  the  British,  began  an  orderly  retreat  towards  the  fort ;  and 
Brown  soon  ordered  the  other  columns  to  do  the  same,  for  the 
object  of  the  sortie  had  been  accomplished.  They  all  reached 
the  fort  in  good  order,  but  with  considerable  loss,  for  by  this  time 
the  British  were  pressing  them  fiercely.  Thus  in  barely  two  hours 
the  result  attempted  had  been  achieved,  the  enemy  irreparably 
crippled,  and  one  thousand  men  killed,  injured,  or  taken  prisoners. 

General  Drummond  speaks  of  the  retreat  of  the  Americans  as 
a  "precipitate  retrograde  movement  made  by  the  enemy  from  the 
different  points  of  our  position  of  which  he  had  gained  a  short  pos- 
session." It  should  be  observed,  however,  that  Drummond,  what- 
ever his  faults  were  as  a  soldier,  was  a  pronounced  success  at  what 
might  be  termed  an  explanatory  waiter.  Some  one  has  remarked 
of  Cellini  that  he  created  his  own  atmosphere.  The  same  remark 
applies  to  Drummond.  His  despatches  to  his  government  are 
well  worth  a  perusal.  Ingersoll,  in  his  history  of  the  war,  dryly 
remarks  apropos  of  this  part  of  Drummond's  report: 

"The  coincident  exertions  of  both  commanders.  Brown  to 
withdraw  his  men  from,  and  Drummond  with  his  to  recover,  the 
British  entrenchments,  soon  effected  it." 

In  this  sortie  we  lost  seventy-nine  killed,  two  hundred  and 
sixteen  wounded,  and  two  hundred  and  sixteen  missing,  a  total 
of  five  hundred  and  eleven.     Of  this  number  twelve  officers  were 

•  Ripley  never  fully  recovered  from  this  wound,  although  he  afterward  ser\'ed  a  term 
in  Congress. 


6o  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

killed,  twenty-two  wounded,  and  ten  were  missing  —  a  most  seri- 
ous blow  to  the  effectiveness  of  so  small  an  army. 

The  enemy's  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing  was  some- 
what under  one  thousand,  and,  according  to  the  American  ac- 
counts, we  captured  nearly  four  hundred  prisoners.  In  any  event, 
the  Americans  totally  disabled  his  best  battery  and  injured  the 
others,  besides  destroying  the  morale  of  his  troops.  Only  the  pen 
of  a  Drummond  could  convert  this  disaster  into  a  repulse  of  the 
Americans,  which  he  did  with  ease.  According  to  Drummond's 
report  his  loss  was  one  hundred  and  fifteen  killed,  one  hundred 
and  forty-eight  wounded,  and  three  hundred  and  sixteen  missing 
—  a  total  of  five  hundred  and  seventy-nine. 

During  the  progress  of  the  fight  crowds  lined  the  American 
shore  and  listened  to  the  combat  during  the  lulls  in  the  severe 
storm  which  raged  that  afternoon.  Dorsheimer  thus  dramatically 
describes  what  was  probably  a  very  simple  incident: 

"All  through  the  afternoon  no  tidings  came.  Just  at  dusk 
a  small  boat  was  seen  struggling  in  the  rapids.  An  eager  crowd 
soon  gathered  on  the  beach.  Tn  the  midst  of  the  breakers  the 
little  bark  upset.  One  of  its  crew  was  seen  floating  in  the  waves. 
The  bystanders  made  a  line  by  holding  on  to  each  other's  clothes, 
and,  stretching  out  from  the  shore,  seized  the  drowning  man.  As, 
exhausted  and  chilled,  he  staggered  up  the  beach,  he  gasped  into 
the  ears  of  his  rescuers  the  first  news  they  had  of  the  great  con- 
flict and  victory." 

Many  friends  of  General  Porter  have  contended  that  the 
sortie  was  planned  by  him  and  that  he  suggested  it  to  Brown. 
Brown  makes  no  mention  of  this  in  his  official  report  or  in  his 
manuscript  memoirs.  Porter  was  a  man  of  much  more  capacity 
than  Brown,  and  it  is  quite  likely  he  had  to  do  with  planning  the 
attack,  although  Brown  was  by  no  means  averse  to  any  plan 
which  would  insure  fighting.  In  any  event.  Porter  was  selected 
to  lead  the  most  important  column,  composed  partly  of  regulars 
not  in  his  brigade,  which  is  a  significant  fact  in  Porter's  favor. 


The  Sortie  6i 

Holley,  at  one  time  secretary  to  Porter,  in  an  article  in  volume  six 
of  The  Magazine  of  American  History,  says : 

"  Before  battery  No,  3  was  completed,  one  bright  morning 
early  in  September,  as  General  Porter,  Lt.-Col.  Wood,  and  Major 
McRea  of  the  engineers  were  walking  from  Towson's  battery 
towards  the  Fort  and  discussing  the  progress  of  the  enemy's 
offensive  operations,  Lt.-Col.  Wood  half-jestingly  suggested  that 
it  might  be  expedient  to  attempt  a  sortie.  But  no  serious  pro- 
posal of  such  an  enterprise  was  made  until  some  days  later, 
when  General  Porter  invited  his  two  friends  to  his  quarters  to 
examine  a  plan  for  it  which  he  had  prepared.  This  plan  was 
discussed  and  fully  matured  in  several  confidential  meetings  of 
the  three  officers.  It  was  then  submitted  to  General  Brown,  who 
was  still  at  Buffalo,  whither  he  had  retired,  as  has  been  stated, 
after  being  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Lundy's  Lane.  He  neither 
encouraged  nor  discouraged  it  at  the  outset,  but,  on  examination 
of  it  as  thoroughly  as  possible  in  his  absence  from  the  ground,  he 
rather  objected  to  the  project. 

"  General  Porter,  however,  continued  to  urge  it,  and  his  views 
were  warmly  seconded  by  the  two  able  engineers  to  whom  he 
had  fully  explained  his  plan.  The  whole  army.  General  Brown 
included,  reposed  the  greatest  confidence  in  these  two  officers, 
particularly  in  Lt.-Col.  Wood. 

"  General  Brown  finally  required  General  Porter,  whom  he 
considered  responsible  for  the  plan,  to  give  him  a  written  state- 
ment of  its  details  over  his  own  signature.  After  receiving  this 
document  General  Brown  consented  that  the  enterprise  should  be 
undertaken,  and  directed  General  Porter  to  lead  it." 

On  the  other  hand.  Major  Jessup,  at  that  time  serving  in  the 
garrison,  states  positively  that  the  sortie  was  planned  solely  by 
Brown ;  and  he  was  certainly  in  a  position  to  be  well  informed  as 
to  what  transpired  in  the  little  garrison.  Major  General  Brown 
was  in  command,  and  as  he  assumed  the  responsibility  for  the 
movement  he  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  its  success. 


62  The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 

An  incident  during  the  sortie,  in  which  General  Porter  was 
the  hero,  is  worth  repeating.  General  Porter,  so  the  story  runs, 
while  accompanied  only  by  his  orderly,  was  proceeding  between 
batteries  Number  One  and  Number  Two,  when,  too  late  to  retreat, 
he  suddenly  came  upon  a  small  company  of  the  enemy  standing 
at  ease  apparently  waiting  orders.  Coming  up  as  though  at  the 
head  of  a  regiment,  Porter  cried,  "That's  right,  my  good  fellows, 
surrender,  and  we'll  take  good  care  of  you."  The  ruse  succeeded, 
and  man  by  man  the  company  from  right  to  left  threw  down 
their  arms  and  marched  to  the  rear.  Everything  went  well  until 
the  man  next  to  the  left  guide  was  reached,  who,  not  seeing  any 
soldiers  supporting  Porter,  and  suspecting  the  trick,  came  to 
charge  bayonet  and  demanded  that  Porter  surrender.  The  boot 
was  now  on  the  other  leg,  but  Porter  dextrously  seized  the  mus- 
ket and  endeavored  to  v/rest  it  away  from  the  soldier.  Several 
comrades  came  to  the  man's  assistance,  and  in  the  melee  Porter 
was  ihrown  down  and  wounded  in  the  hand.  Struggling  to  his 
feet,  he  told  his  assailants  they  were  surrounded  and  if  they 
did  not  cease  their  resistance  he  would  put  them  to  death. 
This  created  a  slight  diversion,  and  at  this  juncture  Lieutenant 
Chatfield,  of  the  militia,  at  the  head  of  the  Cayuga  Rifles,  came 
up,  thus  relieving  Porter  of  an  embarrassing  situation  and  securing 
the  prisoners  as  well.  This  story  smacks  of  the  political  cam- 
paign more  than  of  the  particular  campaign  with  which  this 
narrative  deals,  but  it  may  be  true.  In  any  event.  Porter,  in  his 
official  report,  mentions  Chatfield  as  one  "by  whose  intrepidity  I 
was,  during  the  action,  extricated  from  the  most  unpleasant  situ- 
ation." 

On  the  twenty-first  Drummond  in  great  haste  retired  to  the 
old  position  of  the  Bricish  at  Chippewa  Creek,  leaving  some  of 
his  stores  at  Fort  P^rie  and  destroying  others  at  Frenchman's 
Cree'k'.  The  raising  of  the  siege  showed  how  severely  Drummond 
felt  the  sortie  if  his  reports  do  not.  It  practically  closed  the 
campaign  upon  the  Niagara  frontier,  which  since  July  third,  1814, 
had  waged  with  great  fierceness. 


Total 

British 

Loss. 

Total 

American 

Loss. 

507 

328 

,    878 

860 

905 

84 

Soo 

511 

The  Sortie  63 

The  following  table  of  los.ses  is  interesting,  although  it  should 
be  remembered  it  does  not  include  the  losses  in  skirmishes  and 
minor  combats,  which  were  constantly  taking  place.  It  is  taken 
from  General  \<!x\^\:s  Life  of  Scott,  d^w^  differs  very  slightly  from 
the  figures  already  given. 


Battle  of  Chippewa,  July  fifth,  1814, 

Battle  of  Niagara  (Lundy's  Lane),  July  twenty-fifth,  1814,   878 

Battle  of  Fort  Erie,  August  fifteenth,  1814, 

Sortie  at  Fort  Erie,  September  seventeenth,  1814, 

Total,  3,090        1,783 

When  we  consider  that  neither  side  had  over  four  thousand, 
if  that  number  of  tnen,  engaged  at  any  time,  the  immense  per- 
centage of  loss  will  be  appreciated. 

General  James  Miller,  writing  two  days  after  the  sortie,  says: 

"  I  was  ordered  to  advance  and  get  into  the  enemy's  works 
before  the  column  had  beaten  the  enemy  sufficiently  to  meet  us 
at  the  batteries.  We  had  no  alternative  but  to  fall  on  them,  beat 
them,  and  take  them.  It  was  a  sore  job  for  us.  My  command 
consisted  of  the  9th,  i  ith,  and  19th  Regiments.  Colonel  Aspin- 
wall  commanded  the  9th  and  19th  and  Colonel  Bedel  the  nth. 
Colonel  Aspinwall  lost  his  left  arm.  Major  Trimble  of  the  19th 
was  severely,  I  believe  mortally,  wounded  through  the  body. 
Captain  Hale  of  the  nth  killed;  Captain  IngersoU  of  the  9th 
wounded  in  the  head,  and  eight  other  officers  severely  wounded 
some  of  them  mortally.  Colonel  Bedel  was  the  only  officer 
higher  than  a  lieutenant  in  my  whole  command  but  what  was 
killed  or  wounded." 

After  Drummond  left  our  front  the  fort  was  garrisoned  with 
a  small  force;  and  the  volunteers,  who  were  praised  on  all  sides 
for  their  steadiness  and  bravery  during  the  whole  campaign,  and 
especially  the  sortie,  were  dismissed  to  their  homes.     General 


64 


The  Siege  of  Fort  Erie 


Brown  put  the  matter  in  a  few  words  when  he  said  in  a  letter  to 
Governor  Tompkins,  "The  militia  of  New  York  have  redeemed 
their  character — they  behaved  gallantly." 

The  raising  of  the  siege  was  completely  decisive,  and  the 
pioneers  along  the  frontier  could  again  rest  in  peace  without  the 
disturbing  thought  that  they  might  be  scalped  or  burned  out,  or 
both,  before  another  day  dawned.  The  fort  was  occupied  until 
November  fifth,  1814,  when  it  was  blown  up  and  destroyed  and 
the  stores  and  garrison  withdrawn  to  Buffalo,  its  possession  being 
no  longer  of  value. 

The  War  of  1812  has  been  overshadowed  by  the  more  im- 
portant events  which  preceded  and  followed  it,  but  when  an 
adequate  history  of  this  trying  period  of  our  country's  history  is 
written,  and  the  battles  along  the  Niagara  frontier  are  recounted, 
Chippewa,  Lundy's  Lane,  and  Fort  Erie  will  be  awarded  places 
high  up  in  the  record  of  the  many  valorous  deeds  the  history  of 
our  country  affords.  And  while  the  history  of  our  brave  men  is 
written,  let  due  praise  be  accorded  to  our  former  foes,  who,  through 
the  mutation  of  time  and  circumstance,  are  now  our  nearest  neigh- 
bors and  best  friends. 


THE   END. 


Militia  &  Defence 


